Yugioh GX: Beyond the Academy
by cypher32
Summary: It's been 2 and a half years since Jaden and his pals graduated from Duel Academy. Over that time span, Jaden has been using his powers for the good of mankind, with the help of Jesse and Axel, as part of a 3-man cell. Tired of the constant fighting, Jaden only wants to see his friends again. After his employer makes a shocking announcement, will he get that chance? Or maybe ...
1. The Rainbow at Stonehenge

**Hi everyone! Cypher32 here, bringing you my first ever fanfic.**

**I'll be honest here; I'm kinda nervous. Like most, I can take criticism without getting all emotional and whatnot, but I hope that I can at least put a smile on somebody's face, by writing this story.**

**It's my first time publishing my stories, though honestly, I already had the concept for this story and many others for years. I am a very passionate writer, and I hope to reflect that through my work.**

**For those of you who are still unaware, this is a yu-gi-oh! GX fanfic. Truth be told, I joined the fan fiction community a month ago, on a recommendation from a friend, and I've gotta say; THANKS A LOT for this wonderful site. All my dormant ideas and stories can finally be unleashed!**

**Back on topic, this GX story is going to be my first, as to me, this is probably the best (and only decent one) yugioh anime in my opinion. Coincidentally, I was re-watching the series at the time I joined, so the information is still fresh. **

**This story is my take on what happens two and a half years after Jaden graduates from the academy. I will have some OC's introduced here and there, though if you have any ideas for some OC's, tell me and I'll do my best to include them in the story. The main pairing will of course be Jaden x Alexis (I think that's Justice!), though no story is complete without a few rivals … (Evil laugh!) (FYI: I'm using the English names. For other yugioh stories, I will use the Japanese. No offense; I just favor the GX English names over others)**

**This story will have everything, including dueling. Again, if you have any suggestions on original cards, as I will occasionally be using my own, feel free to pass them on to me, and I'll see what I can do.**

**Finally, I really hope that you guys enjoy it. Sadly, the first chapter is going to be a bit short, but chapter 2 onwards will be detailed and at a reasonable length for everyone. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your reviews and support. Without further ado, GET YOUR GAME ON!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX, or any of the cards in the series. My OC's are my own. **

Chapter 1: The rainbow at Stonehenge

The pillars of Stonehenge, in the British countryside, are a sight to behold. One of the world's oldest monuments, there were many superstitions about this place. Some believe that the ancients living there built it to tell time, using the pillars and the rays from the sun to build one of the world's first clocks. Others have said that it holds a supernatural, or even an 'off-world' feel to it.

Yet at the current moment, it was the sight of a fierce battle between the forces of darkness and the duelists of light.

In the middle of this giant monument, stood a young man, with a two-toned set of brown hair and eyes. He had an active duel disk on his left arm, and wore a trademark red jersey, belonging to the Slifer red duelists of the prestige Duel Academy, just outside of Domino City, Japan. He wore a black T-shirt under his jacket, blue jeans worn out from overuse, and a pair of red sneakers, he had bought recently.

"Well, we sure are having a great time," said his blue haired friend Jesse Anderson, with a sarcastic tone. "Ain't that right, Jaden?"

Yes, this youth went by the name of Jaden Yuki, top duelist of Duel Academy, and the reincarnation of the supreme king. "Keep dreaming, pal," responded Jaden in a slightly annoyed tone.

Right now, the two were dueling a man clad in black, tall and wearing black shades. He, or 'they', had no real name, only to be identified as Darkness. Currently, it wasn't looking good for both duelists. Jaden had only 400 LP (life points) remaining, and Elemental HERO Neos on the field (ATK 2500/DEF 2000), along with a face-down, while Jesse had managed to summon his ace monster Rainbow Dragon (ATK 4000/DEF 0), but had only 100 LP, and 2 face-downs. It was currently the start of their opponent's turn.

"If you two lovebirds are done flirting, it's my turn", the man said in a mocking tone."I draw."

"Wow Jaden, this guy actually thinks we're an item!" joked Jesse.

"Just don't let it get to your head, sweetheart", said Jaden with a defiant smile on his face.

"Aw, shucks, how cute!" Jesse snickered as he said that, while pretending to blush.

They were both trying to laugh off their current predicament; darkness had 5300 LP, and Grapha Dragon Lord of Dark World (ATK 2700) face-up, equipped with the Axe of Despair (increase a monster's attack (ATK) by 1000 points), and the Mask of Brutality (same effect as the previous card, only during each standby phase the player controlling the card takes 1000 points of damage), for a whopping 4700 attack.

"Due to the effects of mask of brutality, I take 1000 points of damage (Darkness 5300-4300). Then I activate the equip spell Swords of flashing light – Tryce, which cuts my monster's attack by 500 points (Grapha 4700-4200), but I can attack twice this turn. Now to finish you! Grapha, attack rainbow dragon!" he declared.

"Not so fast, I activate a trap called Sakuretsu Armor, which destroys an attacking monster!" Jesse declared, as he played one of his face-down cards.

Looking displeased, the darkness simply said, "I end my turn, for now. I'll finish you next turn."

"Don't count on it! I draw," declared Jaden. "Hey Jesse, mind if I borrow your dragon?" he asked. After getting a nod from Jesse, he pumped his fist and said, "Alright, its fusion time! I play the spell Super Polymerization, and fuse my Neos with Jesse's dragon, to summon the ultimate combination, Elemental HERO Rainbow Neos (ATK 4500)!" Neos reemerged with an armored body, and rainbow wings attached to him.

"What! A monster with 4500 attack points" the darkness began to panic after seeing that card.

"That's right, you thought you were safe, as rainbow dragon could only attack on Jesse's turn. Guess you were wrong. Finish him, Neos!" shouted Jaden. Neos then attacked Darkness directly.

"NOOOOO!" screamed the darkness, as his life points fell to zero (Darkness: 4300-0). "Mark my words, Jaden Yuki! I'll get you yet! Aaarghh!" he screamed at the end, just as dawn began to rise over the beautiful English countryside.

"Man, I'm beat," sighed Jesse, as he lied down on the grass. "5 attacks in the past 72 hours, in different parts of Europe. Don't these guys ever take a break?" he complained.

"If they did, you'd be out of a job" joked Jaden, as he lied down next to him.

"If you two are done flirting, we've got to report back to HQ," said a voice coming from a communications unit inside of Jaden's pocket.

"Chill Axel, we just beat the darkness. Again. I think we've earned a little breather, man," sighed Jaden.

"Heroes don't get breaks," was the response.

"Ain't that the truth," sighed Jesse, "and why does everybody think we're a thing."

"Calm down bro, and let's get going before he starts going off about his boring 'all for the sake of duty' lectures again," smiled Jaden.

"I heard that!" came the frustrated response from the unit.

Jaden sat up, and began to look at how peaceful the area was. "_Man, I wish everyday were this peaceful. Then maybe, I could visit my parents and friends again, and maybe I could see her again_" thought Jaden. The image of a blond haired girl came to view. "No, no, no! Now's not the time," he shook his head, and walked back to their military grade trailer, which served as their base of operations.

"But man, I hope they give us a vacation soon, Jay. We could use one" pondered Jesse.

"Yeah. I guess we could" smiled Jaden at the idea. Little did he know that his wish would be a reality, very, very soon.

* * *

**That's a wrap! That was my first chapter. Hope you liked it. Just to be clear, if you feel I made a mistake somewhere, then please alert me it if possible. Like I said, I'm always open to criticism. **

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the academy**

**We learn a bit about how Alexis is faring, and is Jaden going to get a vacation? All that and more in chapter 2: Hope and Reality. **

**A bit about the story in one sentence; darkness remnants still exist, even after the events of season 4. In the next chapter, I will explain why Jaden is working with Jesse and Axel, as well as the identity of their employer. Feel free to guess in the meantime! **

**With that, I end my turn. **


	2. Hope and Reality

**Hi everyone! Cypher32 here. Just a few notes about the story. **

**Before that, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to review the first chapter. Thanks for the support! You ROCK!**

**First of all, I'd like to make it clear that some of the characters are from the manga, but might have slightly different backgrounds or personalities. An example is Reggie Mackenzie, whom I will debut in this chapter. If you've read the manga, you would know that she's technically one of the bad guys (I say technically, because she was being possessed). In my story, she is a childhood friend of the Rhode's siblings, but she is fully a good person in this tale. **

**Secondly, I am planning to split this story into several story arcs, with each arc spanning several chapters. Currently, I've dubbed this first arc, the reunion arc. If you think the arc length is too long, please let me know in the reviews.**

**Lastly, I plan to make several references to characters from the original Yugioh series. If I plan well enough, I might even include a little 5D's Easter egg at the end of the day. **

**Again, thanks for the support! Without further ado, GET YOUR GAME ON!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX, or any of the cards in the series. My OC's are my own. **

* * *

Chapter 2: Hope and Reality

Halfway across the world, on a cold December afternoon, at the Domino City airport, a certain attractive, blond-haired female stepped out of the arrivals section, waiting for a limo to show up and drive her home, though she wasn't alone. "Wait for me, Lexi!" The blond turned around to find a brunette dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, running to catch up to her.

"Geez Atticus, one second you're hyped about being back, the next you're struggling for air. It's embarrassing that we are actually related." The girl's name was Alexis Rhodes, a former Obelisk Blue Duelist of Duel Academy, and Jaden's former classmate. The other was Atticus Rhodes, Alexis's older brother and, due to various circumstances, was also one of Jaden's former classmates. The two were related by blood, though all the people who didn't know them, couldn't believe they were actually related, thanks in part to their contrasting personalities.

"BRRRR" Atticus began to shiver as he stepped out the door. "Its freezing!"

"Of course it is," said a third voice behind Atticus. "It's the tenth of December, two weeks to Christmas. That's why I told you to wear a jacket before we left. Honestly, sometimes you never listen to me, but I guess people like you learn through actions, not words. Still Atty, I wish you'd at least listen to me at times like these," sighed Reggie Mackenzie, the childhood friend of the Rhodes siblings, and Atticus's girlfriend and colleague.

The three of them are currently taking a well-earned, end of the year vacation. They had just finished their end of term finals at Duel College USA, and were currently headed back to the Rhode's family mansion. As they were leaving the airport, they noticed that a lot of people were staring at them, and whispering things like "Wow, what a beautiful group of people." "Man, those two chicks are hot!" "Kyah! That guy is so cute!" and so on.

Atticus was the first to speak up. "Man, we must be famous or something. I mean, look at the attention we're getting," he said.

"I don't think so, Atty. I think they are focusing more on our looks, and less on us," Alexis pointed out, "Though, I think Mac is getting most of the attention."

Reggie Mackenzie, or 'Mac' to the people close to her, was probably what a man would describe as overly attractive. She had light brown hair, cut to shoulder length, and deep blue eyes, with a small mole right under her left eye. Her body was overly attractive, with curves in all the right places, and a voluptuous bust, that could shake the heart of any man. "Really?" she asked "Are foreigners really a rare sight here? I mean, I'm not exactly dressed casually, unless you consider a business suit casual."

Alexis then said, "Let's just ignore them for now, and get going. Our ride is probably here." After the limo arrived, they all got in and began making their way home. On the way there, Alexis began thinking to herself about how much she really missed this place. "_I've been away for a while, yet the city hasn't changed much. Which reminds me, I wonder how the others are doing. Especially Jaden. I haven't seen him since graduation." _As she remembered the boy who she had feelings for, she remembered that night, the night after the two had won the pair tag-team dueling contest, the night she was going to confess her feelings, but couldn't. That was a moment she had since come to regret. "_I hope he's doing okay, and I hope I can see him soon" _she thought.

Atticus, noticing his sister's facial expression, put on a mischievous smirk. "Hey Lex, thinking about your boyfriend" he teased.

Flustered, she responded, "Boyfriend! W-what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about a certain boy your age with brown hair…" he began, before she interrupted him. "I told you before, it's not like that!" Alexis defended herself, but Atticus carried on "Sure thing Lex, but remember the Venice incident, you know, the one where Jaden appeared on the news, and how much you were hoping and begging that he would come out of there alive." "Of course I did. Any friend would want their friend to be safe and sound" she stammered, a hint of annoyance in her tone. "Yeah, but remember that time when…"

SMACK

"Owww! What was that for, Reg?!" Atticus cried out.

"Enough. Can't you see you've gone too far," said Mac, while glaring at Atticus.

"Thanks Mac, if you didn't do that, I might have beaten him half to death," said Alexis, as she began to calm herself.

"Hey sis, that's not something you say to your older brother…" he began protesting, before he was quickly shot down by glares from both girls. "I'm sorry! It's my fault!" Atticus begged for forgiveness.

"(Cough) Anyways," Mac began, as she tried to lighten the mood, "boyfriend stuff aside, I've always wanted to know about this Jaden Yuki boy you and Atticus always talk about."

"Well, where to start." Alexis began to ponder for a while, before saying, "He was one of the top duelists in the academy in our year, if not the best."

"Even though he graduated a Slifer?!" Mac interrupted. "Yes, but Jaden remained a Slifer by choice, not because he was inferior or weak. Anyways, he had this weird power to attract others. He could make friends instantly, and while he was an idiot, and frequently got himself into trouble and made us worry all the time, he was kind and he always had the brightest smile," Alexis paused, and without realizing, had begun to smile, in a way Mac never thought possible.

"_This confirms it, she's still totally into him. That explains why she turned down all those other guys," _Mac thought to herself.

"That's our Jaden, the best, brightest and strongest duelist out there. Not to mention Alexis's groom-to-be," Atticus, who had recovered, cheerfully said.

SMACK

"OUCH!" he screamed. Mac had given Atticus another whack with her purse.

"Anything else you'd like to add?" she asked with a glare.

"No, ma'am!" Atticus replied. He then leaned in closer, and whispered in her ear, "But you see, Jaden's been the only one for her. You can tell by her reaction."

"I suppose," she whispered back, "but please stop bugging her about it. If you really want to help, why don't you go find him for her, so they can sort things out."

"That's the thing, I have no idea where to look, or even where I can find a lead," he sighed, as the limo pulled into the driveway of the Rhode's residence.

"Home sweet home," Atticus said joyfully, as he took the luggage and stepped in.

"Atty, I'm going to my room to rest," said Alexis.

"Ok Lex, but remember, tomorrow we have to give Mac a tour of the town," he said.

"Sure thing," she replied. Alexis climbed the steps to her room, and after she got in, she just jumped into her bed, got under the covers and began to rest. As her consciousness began to fade, she thought "_Jaden, where are you know? Are you okay wherever you are? Please come back to me safe." _With that, sleep claimed her.

* * *

Jaden yawned, as he was listening to Axel's boring lecture about 'duty'. It was currently 10 AM over in England, and he really wanted to get some sleep having had little sleep lately, due to the constant attacks from darkness, but Axel had other plans. "Look," he sighed, "I know the both of you are worn out, but unfortunately until we fully confirm that the darkness has disappeared from this area, and I get a call from HQ, we need to be on high alert."

"Aw! If I knew, I wouldn't have teamed with you guys," complained Jaden.

A little over a year after the events that took place in Venice (and the faithful events of Bonds Beyond Time), Jaden was in the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa, tackling the darkness in the area. As he was struggling with this particular darkness, he was unexpectedly aided by his old pals, Jesse and Axel. After exchanging pleasantries, and grabbing a bite to eat, Axel had offered Jaden a job, one where Jaden would continue fighting the darkness, only he would be better prepared, and in much better health.

You see, Seto Kaiba, owner and CEO of Kaiba Corp., had been studying the darkness and its effects for a while. After reaching the conclusion that the darkness needed to be eliminated, he initiated the 'Dragoons' project, where he would hire a select few of the most talented duelists from around the world, and create small groups of three-man teams to send on assignments to fight, and ultimately defeat the remnants of darkness. The project was a well-kept secret; only a select few, outside of the duelists involved, knew of this project. On the outside, the said duelists would be simple Kaiba Corp. employees or field agents, but on the inside, they would be 'Dragoons', fighting for the freedom of their world.

Axel, already an employee, was selected, along with Jesse, who was convinced to do so by Axel. When Kaiba asked for a recommendation for a third member, the first name that flashed in Axel's mind was Jaden Yuki. After checking his profile, seeing as he was one of the best duelists to ever graduate from duel academy, and based on a statement from Chancellor Sheppard, had experience fighting the darkness, so he decided to hire him. The problem was that no one knew where he was at the time. So Axel and Jesse continued to battle the darkness, knowing Jaden would turn up during one of those incidents, and sure enough, he did.

To summarize; Jaden would join as one of Kaiba's 'Dragoons', and have free roam just like he used to, but he had to report in every once in a while. Jaden accepted of course, but not out of a sense of duty, or for the money, but because it would be fun to duel alongside Jesse and Axel again, and even he had to admit; the darkness was putting up more of a fight then he thought.

Back to the present, Jaden began thinking "_Man, the time sure flies. I've really got to go visit my parents and such." _

"Come on, Axe-man, let's just take a quick breather," Jesse begged "Please?"

"Like I told you…" Axel began to retort, until he heard a loud buzzing coming from his communications unit. "Yeah, Axel here. What, right now?!" Jaden and Jesse looked at each other confused, before focusing their attention back on the Axel, who put a serious expression on. "Got it, we'll report back ASAP." Axel put the phone down, and looked at his confused comrades, before saying, "Guys, we've got a call from the boss." Jaden and Jesse looked at Axel in astonishment. "Looks like he wants all 'Dragoons' to gather for an important meeting. Well Jaden, looks like you'll get your sleep on the flight back," said Axel, as he patted Jaden's shoulder.

Jaden was stunned; he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "_So, we're finally heading back to Domino City, back to where it all began," _he thought to himself,_ "__Maybe that wish of mine, might come true after all." _All Jaden knew for sure, was that he was finally homebound.

* * *

**YAY! Chapter 2 is finally in the books, and what a kickass chapter it was. So Seto Kaiba was the boss. I think it was obvious, but if you didn't know, let me know in the reviews. **

**On a side note, for those wondering, Fujiwara was not the last boss of darkness in my story; he was a general, a leader. But he wasn't really the top dog. Food for thought…**

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the academy**

**What is the true purpose of the Dragoons, and what is the shocking announcement that Kaiba is going to make? Also, what's going on with Chazz, and where is Yubel? All this and more in Chapter 3: Homebound. **

**So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support! **

**With that, I end my turn. **


	3. Homebound

**Hi everyone! Cypher32 here. Back for chapter 3. Since there really isn't much to say any more about the story (unless you still have questions), I think I will just summarize the events that happened before each chapter. **

**Last time on Beyond the Academy:**

**Jaden and crew have received a call from HQ, and are headed home to attend a very important meeting. Elsewhere, Alexis is finally back in town after all these years of studying hard. Will the hands of fate have these two meet again? Or…**

**Without further ado, GET YOUR GAME ON!**

* * *

Chapter 3: Homebound

Part 1

Jaden was in his seat, onboard one of the Kaiba Corporation's private jets. To his right side, Axel was resting with his eyes closed and Jesse was snoring like there's no tomorrow. On his lap, happily asleep, was Pharaoh, the happy, fat cat entrusted to him by , whose spirit was still alive inside Pharaoh's stomach. Jaden turned to look out the window.

"Thinking about something?" came a voice from behind him.

"Yeah, just about how my friends and family are doing. I mean, I might actually get to see them again" said Jaden, excited at the thought.

"Right, your friends. But the truth is you just want to see how that Alexis girl is doing, right?" the voice asked in a teasing tone.

"Yeah, I guess I do … HEY!" Jaden shouted, "Yubel, quit messing around with my thoughts!"

"But you and I both know I'm right, Jaden," said one of Jaden's most trusted duel spirits and a part of his soul, the duel monster Yubel.

"Look, she's just a friend. I'll admit she's a total knockout, and therefore out of my league. She's smart, talented, and beautiful beyond comparison, not to mention a top class duelist. I don't think she deserves someone like me, especially after everything that's happened. I think she should be with someone who matches her skillset. Plus, even if I DID have feelings for her, which I don't by the way," Jaden emphasized the word did, "she might not feel the same way. Plus, I have you and kuriboh over there," he said, pointing to another one of his duel spirits, Winged Kuriboh.

"I'm glad you feel that way Jaden, but you know that I can't really provide you with the comfort and love a regular human girl could. I just want you to find someone in your life, that you would do anything for, and protect until the day you die," said Yubel.

"Yeah. Well I'll let you know when I find that person," replied Jaden in a bored tone.

"Kurri Kurri!" exclaimed Kuriboh.

"Yes Kuriboh, he is a dense oaf. But let's leave it at that for now," Yubel sighed, as she disappeared.

Jaden then went back to looking out the window. _"Alexis, huh,"_ Jaden began thinking, _"I probably hurt her the most out of all my friends. I'll try and see her if I can. I really have to apologize, even if she never forgives me. Then maybe I could … nope, nope!" _Jaden began shaking his head,_ "__it's just to apologize and see an old friend, nothing more, nothing less." _His eyes moved towards a magazine that was in the middle of a pile of several others on a small table on his left.

Now, Jaden wasn't much of a reader, but a particular person on the cover of the magazine, titled 'Duel Monsters Monthly', had a very familiar face, and spiked jet black hair that was distinguishable almost anywhere. "_Hey, Chazz is on the cover of a magazine. Man, he must really be dominating the competition," _thought Jaden cheerfully. "_Wonder what he's doing now?" _

A voice then interrupted his thoughts. "Good evening passengers (it was late in the evening in Domino City). I hope you enjoyed your flight. We will land in Domino City in a few moments. A car will be outside to pick you up and take you to your hotel. On behalf of , I'd like to welcome you back to the city. Please buckle your seat belts, and prepare for landing."

That was music to Jaden's ears, as we woke up Jesse (Axel had already woken up), and buckled his belt. "_Finally, I can see them again. Just you wait guys, I'm coming."_

* * *

Part 2

Inside a penthouse suite at the White Dragon Towers, one of the most exquisite and luxurious 5 star hotels in Domino City, Chazz Princeton was enjoying a well-deserved meal. "Bring me some iced tea and a strawberry gelato," he ordered.

"Right away, sir," came the response from his personal attendant, who went to get the items he ordered.

"Now on to the main course," Chazz smiled happily as he removed the lid off his food. There was a healthy serving of white rice, along with a Caesar salad, a bowl of miso soup and some condiments, all complementing a thick and juicy sirloin steak, still fresh off the grill. What stood out the most however, was a plate of fried shrimp that was next to the rice. Chazz looked at it for a second, before he was reminded of someone. "_It reminds me of that slacker. He used to love this dog food," _he thought. "W_onder how he's holding up?" _

His attendant then came back with the requested items "Here you go sir," she said as she placed them on the table. "Good job on the interview for 'Duel Monsters Monthly'. I bet the dueling world knows exactly who you are now."

"Yup, now they'll know how awesome and powerful I really am," he said with a smirk.

His attendant sighed. Her name was Christina Tacks, though Chazz liked calling her Chris. Chazz's older brothers Slade and Jagger, owners of the Princeton Group, hired her to attend to the needs of their upcoming 'Star in the making'. She was about 19 years old, a year younger then Chazz, with fair skin, pink hair and blue eyes. _"If only you were a bit more humble," she thought. _

"So Chris, what's on the schedule for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Well you have another interview with 'Blue Eyes Weekly', have to attend a corporate lunch with your older brothers after a deal is struck with the Chinese fuel company for product exchange, and you have to attend a charity event to raise money for the city orphanage," she stated.

"Man," he sighed, "Another jam-packed day. Wish I could get a break."

"Ah!" she exclaimed as she remembered something. "I almost forgot. Duel Academy sent you an invitation. I received it just this morning."

"What's it about?" he asked.

"Well apparently, Chancellor Sheppard wants to have a reunion of the 'golden generation' of duel academy. A get-together of sorts," she replied.

A mall smile formed on Chazz's lips. "A reunion, huh. I guess I could go. When is it?" he asked.

"About a week from now," she said.

"Alright clear my schedule for that week, I'm going to duel academy!" he announced.

"Yes, sir," she said.

"Haha, maybe I can meet Alexis again. I bet she got sexier in the time we've been apart. Don't worry my princess, your prince is coming," Chazz blushed and invisible hearts started appearing in his thoughts, as he started imagining a life with Alexis.

"_I know what you're thinking about from here,_" she thought. "_If only you stopped looking at what's beyond reach, and started looking around you. If it's me, I'd be willing to do anything and everything for you," she blushed at the thought. _

"Hm, what's up Chris? Why is your face red?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing!" she said, clearly flustered "I better get the schedule fixed up. Have a good night, sir!" and with that, she left the room.

"What's her problem?" he asked. "Oh well! Steak, here I come!" All the while, the Ojama trio were simply shaking their heads, and wondering if their boss was as dense as he looks.

* * *

Part 3

The following night was a chilly night. It hadn't started to snow yet in Domino, but it was 5 degrees (Celsius) out! As a black car parked at the front door of the Kaiba Corporation, three youths stepped out. Jaden was the first to stare in wonder.

"Wow, this is the new KC building! To think that almost three years ago, it was completely blown to bits!" Jaden began remembering the events that transpired that night, as he had first row seats to the action, during a fight with Axel, who was possessed by darkness at the time.

"Well, this is **the **Seto Kaiba we're talking about. Always one step ahead of the competition," replied Axel.

The three entered the main lobby, and proceeded to the elevators on the far left. A security guard was standing watch over the elevators, then he asked "ID, please?" The three of them took out their Kaiba Corp. employee ID's, and gave them to the guard. After verifying the ID using the computer next to him, he gave it back to them and said, "Welcome Dragoons. Mr. Kaiba has been expecting you." As they entered the elevator, Axel swiped his card key, and the elevator began to descend several floors below the lobby, until they arrived at their destination, about 7 stories below the lobby. After getting out, they were greeted by a young woman dressed in a red business suit.

"Welcome Dragoon members: Jaden Yuki, Jesse Anderson and Axel Brodie. Mr. Kaiba has been expecting you," she said in a cold tone.

"Come on Bridge, lighten up would ya! You should put a smile on that pretty face like Jay and I do all the time," said Jesse, smiling to prove his point.

The woman began to lose her composure and said, "Firstly, my name is Bridget, not Bridge. Secondly, it's Ms. Parker to you Anderson. Lastly, smiling is a sign of weakness, understand."

"Yes ma'am!" replied Jesse as he recoiled in fear.

"That goes for you too, Mr. Yuki," she said, turning to Jaden.

"Sure thing Ms. Parker, I know the drill" smiled Jaden.

"W-w-well, as long as you know, it's fine," she said in an uninterested tone, then turned away from him.

"Well, let's take a seat, guys", said an enthusiastic Jaden.

Unbeknownst to him, Bridget was madly blushing. "_His smile is so soothing and warm," _she thought. "_I'm glad these missions haven't changed him."_

Bridget Parker, a young 19 year old American prodigy, with red hair and smooth, white skin. Despite her young age, she had a mature physique and a body with curves in all the right places, and capable of ensnaring even the most serious and strong-hearted of men. She came from an aristocratic family, and her father also held a high position in the Domino City government. She was also a child genius, excelling in all fields, including academics, sports and even dueling. She had actually skipped grades, and graduated from college at the tender age of 13. As a duelist, she used a lightsworn deck, and a powerful one at that; she had won all sorts of major tournaments by the time she was 11. Due to her strict upbringing, and her superiority complex, she had a huge ego, and while kind when she needed to be, she also had a harsh tongue and wouldn't hesitate to point out the flaws in others. Finally, she also had a strict view on love; she had never dated as her standards were too high.

This all changed when she met Jaden. About a year ago, she was kidnapped by a group of thugs. The group had broken into her family's mansion, injured her parents and caused a few casualties amongst the guards and servants. They took her hostage, and demanded a ransom fee, before they were possessed by darkness. Under the influence of darkness, they were going to kill her, but thankfully Jaden, who was in the area at the time, defeated the thugs, dispelled the darkness and saved her. After the incident, she became infatuated and obsessed with the boy, using her superior hacking skills to find every bit of information on the guy named Jaden Yuki. She found out a lot, including the fact that he was the top graduate at duel academy, and how he was a 'Dragoon' member, working under Kaiba, as well as everything there was to know about his friends, family and supposedly his love life. She was pleased when she found out he had also never dated a girl before, though she cringed when she found out that he might actually have feelings for Alexis Rhodes, a childhood friend and rival of hers (she found out through Jesse, FYI).

"_Ah Jaden, I'm glad you came back safe,_" she thought, before heading to grab a seat at the table. She had actually joined Kaiba Corp. specifically to see Jaden again, something only she knew, and became Kaiba's secretary at her own request, and by using her family's influence to pull a few strings, something that even shocked Kaiba, though he later saw that adding a prodigy to his staff was of great benefit and an extra asset.

Back to the meeting, Kaiba began with an opening statement. "Welcome Dragoons. Thank you all for coming back on such short notice." The dragoons were small in number (18 in total, 6 teams), but the members were some of the best duelists in the world. "Although we've made great strides in eradicating the Darkness that plagues this planet, their attacks have become more frequent and random. I'll cut to the chase; I have devised a plan to beat the remnants of Darkness all at once, and prevent any casualties at the same time." Everybody looked at Kaiba in a confused and surprised manner.

"Everybody, I will hereby announce the creation of a brand new tournament, a carnival of champions! It's time for the first ever Domino City World Duel Carnival!"

* * *

**YAY! Chapter 3 is finally in the books, and what a kickass chapter it was. So Seto Kaiba was the boss. I think it was obvious, but if you didn't know, let me know in the reviews. **

**On a side note, for those wondering, Fujiwara was not the last boss of darkness in my story; he was a general, a leader. But he wasn't really the top dog. Food for thought…**

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the academy**

**What is the true purpose of the Dragoons, and what is the shocking announcement that Kaiba is going to make? Also, Jaden meets one of his old friends, though it's one of the last people he expected to meet. All this and more in Chapter 4: The Two Brunettes. **

**So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support! **

**With that, I end my turn. **


	4. The two Brunettes

**A good day to all. Cypher 32 here, with chapter 4 in the books. I've come a long way since the day I uploaded my first chapter (Though it's only been a couple of weeks). To my followers; thanks for giving my story a read. You make uploading stories worthwhile! A little note: I've noticed that the spaces between lines are too little, so I will modify that accordingly. So anyways, back on topic: **

**Last time on Beyond the Academy**

**Seto Kaiba shocks the meeting room with his announcement of the world duel carnival. What are his true motives, and will it really lead to peace? Also, Chazz receives an invite for a reunion at duel academy. Will the gears of fate shift there next?**

**Without further ado, GET YOUR GAME ON!**

* * *

Chapter 4: The Two Brunettes

Part 1

Kaiba's announcement shook everyone in the room to the core. A tournament, and a world class level tournament at that! Kaiba certainly had the power to host a carnival of this magnitude, as well as the funds to pay for it all, but this was just so sudden, and for Jaden at least, too good to be true.

After a brief silence, Axel finally spoke up. "Mr. Kaiba, no offense, but how will a duel tournament flush out the remnants of darkness and more importantly, how are we going to protect the citizens and participants? Isn't this measure a bit too…"

"Didn't take you for much of a talker, Axel" Kaiba interrupted with a glare.

Realizing his mistake, Axel apologized. "My apologies Mr. Kaiba. I was mistaken in my judgement."

"Hmph. Parker, show them the details" said Kaiba.

"Yes sir," she then reached for the projector right next to her, and turned it on. "This tournament," she began, "is expected to attract thousands of duelists from all over the world, and gather them all in Domino City. This gives darkness the perfect opportunity to strike. They will possess all manner of duelists, in an attempt to infiltrate and eventually take over all the duelists. But it also gives us the best chance of rounding them up, then defeating the darkness all at once. We might also be able to find the ring leader that's controlling all these remnants."

Kaiba continued after her. "You duelists are going to participate, defeat the darkness and win it all. Be careful, as **any and all** (including possessed) duelists are allowed entry into the tournament. Any questions?"

"Yeah!" Jaden answered with an excited smile, "What do we get for winning it all?"

"Hmph" Kaiba said with a smirk. "Of course. The winner of the tournament will get the absolute honor of designing his or her very own duel monsters card, courtesy of my business partner Maximillian Pegasus, as well as a direct invitation into the pro leagues, and a huge cash prize, which I will determine at a later date." The silent room was suddenly full of chatter and gossip from all sides.

"Sweet! I couldn't give a rat's ass about the cash, but my very own card! Now that's actually something!" Jaden exclaimed excitedly.

Bridget coughed loudly, and the room went silent. "Now listen up. The tournament starts in June, and we're in December, so has decided to loosen your leash."

"Loosen?" asked Jesse "What d'ya mean?"

"She means Jesse that you have a little over half a year to build your deck, train and prepare for the big tournament, on top of your duties as a Dragoon. However, there will be less pressure and less assignments. Basically, you're all free to train as you see fit. Think of it as somewhat of a paid vacation," said Kaiba. "Remember this though," he added "you are among the first group of people to know of this tournament. The official announcement isn't until next week, so until then, all information regarding the tournament stays here, understood!"

"YES, SIR!" was the response. "Now I have to go settle the final details with city hall, so feel free to let yourselves out" and with that final statement, Kaiba left.

"Well Jesse, looks like you've got that vacation" said Jaden with a stunned look.

"Sure have, Jay, sure have…"

* * *

Part 2

"So what are you guys going to do for training?" That was the question Jaden asked his comrades at the front door of Kaiba Corp.

"I'm going to continue surveillance. The darkness could appear at any time. Personally though, if it does, it would make the perfect test dummy for my deck," said Axel indifferently ."See you guys later."

After Axel left, Jaden asked, "And you Jesse?"

"Well Jay, I'll probably hit the beaches in Rio, and soak in some of that sweet, sweet sun. Well that is if it's still hot over there," Jesse said with a grin. "And you Jay?"

Bridget, who was right behind them, thought, "_Maybe Jaden doesn't have a place to stay. He does look like the 'I'm perfectly fine with sleeping anywhere' type of person. If so, it's my chance." _

"Um, well if you want, you could come stay at my place…"

Unfortunately for her, Jaden wasn't paying attention to her invitation, and said, "Well, I think I'll head home for a while, and try to see my parents and old buddies, then I guess I'll hit the road and train."

"Sounds like a plan, Jay. Well I'll see ya real soon!" Jesse smiled.

"Yeah, you too Jesse!" said Jaden, as the two exchanged fist bumps.

"See ya, Bridge," teased Jesse, then he for a taxi, and disappeared into the night, before Bridget had a chance to retort.

"Oh, sorry Bridge…um, Ms. Parker, you were saying?" he asked.

"N-nothing! Just make sure you report back on time, and train daily. W-we wouldn't want a useless member dragging us down in the tournament!" exclaimed a flustered Bridget.

"Yes, ma'am!" he smiled "Well, I'll see you around Ms. Parker." Then, he left into the night.

Bridget sighed. "Man, what an idiot. But I guess if I can love an idiot like that, that makes me the real idiot. Well, all I can do now is secretly support him" she said with a small smile.

"Well it's still 7 PM. What should we do?" Jaden was conversing with his spirits, as he made his way away from Kaiba Corp.

Suddenly, he heard a loud growl from his stomach. "Maybe you should eat first," laughed Yubel.

"Kurri Kurri!" laughed Kuriboh as well.

"Ha-ha you guys, verrrrrrry funny. But you're right, I could use some grub. Let's go to that mall over there. It should have some good food," said Jaden, while drooling over the thought of great grub.

"Yeah, right. Then you're going to search for Alexis, right," said Yubel.

"Don't start this now Yubel, please?" he groaned.

She sighed. "Fine, but you know I'm right. Soon, you might realize it too, I hope," she said, then disappeared.

"Now for some grub!" he smiled at the thought.

* * *

Part 3

**An hour earlier, the Rhodes residency**

"Hey Mac," said Atticus excitedly, "Let's go to the mall and hang out."

Mac looked up from her seat on the couch and answered, "Sure, why not? We could use a little distraction. Plus if I said no, you'd probably start bawling like a child."

"YES!" Atticus began jumping up and down while saying, "scored a date with Mac!"

She looked at Atticus while sighing "Why do your childish antics never surprise me?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well, you love that side of me, don't you?" he replied with a smile. "I know, I'll ask my sis if she wants to come with!"

"You know, it's not really a date anymore when you have 3 people, but still, it'll be good for her to get some fresh air…" she began to say, but then noticed that Atticus had already left the room. "_Man, what am I going to do,_" she smiled as she thought "_But that caring side is what made me fall for you."_

Meanwhile, Atticus had already reached Alexis's room on the second floor, and began knocking the door. "Hey lex, wanna come with Mac and I to the mall. I promise it's gonna be fun," he said.

"It's okay, go on ahead. I'm just going to lie down today and think," came the response.

"Come on sis, it'll be fun. We'll go shopping, grab a bite to eat, and maybe, just maybe, we'll get you a boyfriend," he teased. Atticus then heard a cracking noise from inside, and he cringed as he braced himself for a potential beating. "Do you enjoy teasing your little your little sister that much?" she asked in an enraged tone.

"Yup, it's my god given right as the older brother. But that's beside the point," he said. He then dropped the smile, and began talking seriously "Alexis, do you really, truly miss him?"

The room was silent for a few minutes, until he heard, "Yes, I do. I still regret that I didn't confess to him that night, or during my last year. Now there's a chance I may never see him again. What should I do, brother?" Alexis asked as tears began to form in the corner of her eyes.

Atticus stepped in and began to hug her. "Lex, don't give up. I'm sure he'll come back to town soon, and I'm sure you will see him again. That much I can be sure of. You're attractive, smart, cute and great at dueling. Any guy would be a real idiot to turn you down," he said as he tried to cheer her up.

"But what if I see him again, and it turns out that he doesn't feel the same way?" she asked, while resisting the urge to sob.

"Then you just have to be strong and move on. But I know Jaden, and I have a hunch that he might feel the same way as you do," he said. After a few minutes, he let go of her and said "Well, I'll leave you to your thoughts. Don't worry, I'll get you something neat." With that, he left the room.

* * *

Part 4

Atticus heavily sighed as he and Mac entered the mall. It was currently 7:30 PM, and the mall was filled with a variety of people who came for a variety of reasons.

"What's wrong now? Bored, because you can't harass your little sister right now?" she asked in a mocking tone.

"No, no. It's not that. My sister is still in love with the same guy, and from what I found out before I left, her guilt and regret is worse than I thought, and the worst part is, I don't know how to help her," he replied while sighing again.

"Is it that Jaden guy you talked about?" she asked.

"Yeah, it is. I haven't seen him myself in a while, and finding him is easier said than done. I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, if I can find him, and have the two meet and sort things out, maybe her insecurities will disappear. Honestly, I hope those two end up together. In my opinion, Jaden suits her best."

After a bit of shopping, the two reached the food court to grab a quick bite to eat. Atticus was still complaining. "I still can't get, though, how someone so easy to spot would be so hard to find. I mean how many people in the world have the same hairstyle he does? Honestly Mac, the answer will shock you."

Mac then spotted someone very similar to Atticus's initial description, sitting at one of the tables. "Hey Atty" she began.

"Yeah?"

"Did this Jaden guy have brown eyes?" she asked.

"Why yes he did" he answered. "Did he have a red jacket that looks like it's from duel academy?" she continued.

"Yeah, he did. Wow Mac, you've got a great memory!" he said in admiration. "Then isn't that boy at the table over there, Jaden Yuki?" she asked.

"Oh come on Mac!" he laughed "I know you're trying to cheer me up, but come on, it's not like the guy I need is going to pop-up like that…"

Atticus stopped when he noticed the same boy in Mac's description, and his jaw dropped in shock. There, eating like a slob at one of the tables, was the guy he needed, Jaden Yuki. "Mac, slap me," he stammered.

"Oh come on! Just go over and say hi!" she encouraged him to go over. "Slapping you won't change anything."

Atticus then nodded and begun to move towards the said table. When he got close enough, he called out, "J-J-Jaden, is that really y-you man?"

The boy in question stopped eating, and looked up to see the source of the voice. "Hey Atticus what's up? Fancy meeting you here! It's been ages!" Jaden exclaimed happily "Wanna join me for fried shrimp and hamburgers?"

Atticus stood in his spot stunned for a moment, before tears started welling up in his eyes, and then. "JAY-MAN, YOU'RE OKAY AND ALIVE!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, and cried out as he bear-hugged Jaden.

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be? Now could you loosen up your grip, I ca…n't brea…the," he said while suffocating, but Atticus was too busy man-crying and hugging to notice.

"Atty, I think he gets it. So please, let him breathe a little at least. You don't want your sister knowing that you suffocated her crush to death," she sighed. "Plus, people are watching."

Atticus then noticed that he had caused a commotion, and let Jaden go, as he tried to regain his composure. "Still Jay, I'm glad you're back and in good health," said Atticus cheerfully.

"Yeah, glad to be back!" responded Jaden. "I've missed you and the others quite a bit, man. Anyways, what are you guys loitering around for, grab a seat! Food's on me today!" he said, as the two took their seats at the table. That's how Jaden's reunion began.

* * *

Several hundred kilometers away, in an old, run-down mansion, seven hooded figures sat down around a large circular table. "So that's what transpired in the Kaiba Corp. meeting?" one of the figures asked.

"Yes sir, that's what he said," was the response from one of the members.

The figure began laughing. "A tournament, Kaiba. How clichéd. Well, as long as it doesn't get in the way of our grand plans, then leave it be." He then stopped laughing and frowned "Soon, our supreme king; soon you will return to lead us"

* * *

**Well, how's that for a cliffhanger. So, Jaden met up with Atticus. Could the fated meeting be coming? And what's this about the revival of the supreme king? Well, it's too early to tell. Still, please continue reading. You'll enjoy it; that much I can guarantee. **

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the academy**

**Atticus, meet the parents. While you're at it, try and convince his parents that Alexis is the fated one. Jaden talks about his adventures. Then, finally the gears start to move in motion. All this and more in Chapter 5: Parental Love **

**So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support! **

**With that, I end my turn. **


	5. Parental Love

**A good day to all. Cypher 32 here, and though it's been a while, I'd like to say, IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK. Sorry for the delay you guys. I know, it's been over a month, and I'm really sorry for the delay but life just caught up to me. The good news though; I'm finally free, and ready to upload the next set of chapters in this series. I also have plans to get started on several other stories from various series, but lets focus on this one for now. **

**Last time on Beyond the Academy**

**Jaden meets up with Atticus, who is just as shocked to see him after all this time. We learn a little about Alexis's feelings. The clock is starting to wind down...**

**So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Parental Love

**Part 1**

It was around 8 PM at the Domino City mall, and it was crowded with people from all over the city. The mall was one of the biggest in the world, and had everything a resident of a big city needed, from fast food joints to furniture stores to even "adult only" shops. Of course, half of the mall was crawling with duel monster shops and the like, symbolizing the city's love of the game. At the food court, sitting at a certain table were a pair of brunettes and a girl who the least that could be said about her was that she was 'hot'.

"I still can't believe it's you!" said a still stunned Atticus. He started poking Jaden's cheek, and pinching his own to make sure that he wasn't dreaming.

"Yeah, I still can't believe I'm back either. I'm not sure whether to call it the hand of fate or destiny at play, or just a pure happy coincidence. Man, I really can't believe that I got the chance, though. I'm so excited!" exclaimed Jaden, as he was feeding Pharaoh. The cat purred in response, before continuing to chew. "Anyways, what happened with all our friends! I'm dying to know, man! Come on, tell me!" he continued with sparking eyes.

"_He certainly acts like Atty,"_Mac thought to herself. "_Maybe that's why those two get along so well."_

Atticus took a moment to think, then said, "Well, from what I know, Syrus is taking the pro league by storm, and with Zane as his manager, the two have become an unstoppable duo. Hasselberry moved to Australia, and began working closely with our old friend Jim in digging up dinosaur bones and ancient artifacts. Chazz also became a prominent figure in the pro duelist world, but you probably already know that. Bastion is, well, in the same dimension he's in, though I haven't heard much from him. Aster's taking a break from the pro circuit, and he and Sartorius are working on a new charity organization, to help under-privileged kids all over the world to learn and master the art of dueling. As for Blair, well she's actually a freshman at Duel Academy college, and she's already pretty well-known for her skills on campus, though not as much as Lex or Mac over here. I'm afraid I don't have much info. about Axel or Jesse."

"That's alright," replied Jaden, "I was with them until just a couple of hours ago."

"Wait, you met them!" said a surprised Atticus.

"Well yeah, we work together for Kaiba Corp..."Jaden began, but remembered that his job as a dragoon was a secret, "...as field agents, you know, testing new cards, travelling, blah, blah, blah." he laughed nervously, trying to divert the two from the truth. "But still, Sy became a pro duelist, and Hasselberry's working with dinos! Cool!" he said excitedly, before sighing, "Now I wanna see them even more," while sulking.

"Yeah, that's great Jaden. But wait, you work for Kaiba Corp. As in the freakin Kaiba Corp! How'd that happen? I thought you were traveling solo!" shouted Atticus, while Mac was trying to stop him from causing a commotion.

"Well, I was. But then, Axel and Jesse found me by 'pure coincidence', and invited me to join. Oh, but don't worry. Even though I'm an employee, I still travel wherever I want to, and I get to duel whoever and whenever I want, with a few restrictions," explained Jaden, while trying to calm his growing excitement.

Mac came up to Atticus, and whispered, "Well, he's got an income. That's one hurdle clear, at least."

"You bet, Mac," he replied, "but that's not the problem here."

"Come to think of it," Jaden began, as the two separated, "You never told me about what Alexis is up to these days. How's she been doing lately?"

"Oh, yeah. Lexy," stammered Atticus while coughing. "Well we all have fun over at Duel College America. Lex, Mac and I all go to the same school, but lex has been feeling a little dow... I mean great! She's having f-fun just as w-we are now," he finished, struggling to keep the truth from Jaden. "By the way, I haven't introduced you to this lovely late yet. This little lady over here is Reggie Mackenzie, the daughter of the chairman of Duel College America, my childhood friend, and hopefully the new Misses Rhodes."

"Keep dreaming, Atty," she sighed, before turning and extending her hand. "A pleasure to meet you Jaden Yuki. I've heard so much about your skills from Atty and from Alexis. I look forward to being friends, as well as rival duelists."

"Yeah, a pleasure," Jaden responded weakly, while shaking her hand. She then noticed that Jaden wore a painful expression on his face.

"So I hurt her again..." she heard Jaden say under his breath.

Atticus, noticing Jaden as well, tried to change the mood. "Well, on a side note Jay, what's your schedule while you're here?" he asked.

"Well," Jaden said, "I've got to go visit my parents, since I'm sure they're worried sick. Then I was thinking of hitting the road and travelling a bit. There are still plenty of things I wanna see."

At that moment, an idea lit up in Atticus's head. "Well Jaden, why don't you spend some time at my place. You can un-wind, we can duel for old times sake and maybe our old friends could stop by, so you can see the again," he said.

"I don't know," Jaden replied, "I wouldn't want to impose..."

"Nonsense Jay, it'll be no trouble at all," he smiled as he cut in. "Plus, Alexis would be thrilled to see you again after all this time." Atticus attempted to persuade Jaden further. "_And maybe I could finally get those two together,"_he thought with a mischievous smile on his face.

"You know what Atticus, I think I'll take you up on your offer!" smiled Jaden "But first, I gotta go see my parents, let them know that I'm okay, and that I actually graduated from high school. You know, just the 'routine' parental check."

"No problemo, Jay. In fact, why don't we visit your parents too. I've always wanted to meet my in-la... I mean, such wonderful people, and know what type of people they're like," Atticus said, trying to mask his intentions.

Jaden, being clueless as usual, said, "Well, okay. Lets head over there now. Next stop, my house!"

* * *

**Part 2**

On their way to the exit, Mac caught up to Atticus, and whispered in his ear, "Atticus, Jaden might not notice, but I've caught on to you. You're actually trying to meet his parents, so you can 'sell' Alexis to them."

"Oh, whatever do you mean, my dear lover?" asked Atticus, trying to play dumb.

"You know what I mean. You plan to convince them that Alexis is 'the one' for Jaden, so they stop worrying about his love life, and then they give you their blessing, which basically means that they've given you their approval, and you can get yourself another card to tease Alexis with, or maybe even a bargaining chip to convince your own parents with, " she said.

Atticus simply looked at Mac with a smile. "You're thinking way too far ahead about this, Mac. All I want to do is give my friend's parents a greeting. Besides, Alexis would have to meet them herself, so they could give her their blessing, right?" he pointed out.

Mac continued to stare at him suspiciously for a while, before sighing. "Alright Atty. If that's it, then I won't poke in any further. But know this; if you embarrass her in front of her crush's parents, she'll never ever forgive you," she warned, and with that went on to talk with Jaden about dueling.

"Whew!" Atticus let out a sigh of relief. _"She almost caught on to me. Man, is she a psychic or something?"_ he thought, before heading over to join the other two in their conversation.

As they went outside, Jaden asked, "Oh yeah, how are we gonna get there?"

"No prob, Jay. We've already got a ride," said Atticus, as a limo pulled up next to them.

* * *

"Whoa!" Jaden couldn't hide his amazement. He'd never been inside a limo before, and after inspecting it, he said to Atticus, "Man, this is so cool! I've never been inside one before!"

"What?! You mean you were working for Kaiba Corp. this whole freakin time, and you didn't get to ride a limo? Man, that's sad. I mean, how is that even possible?" Atticus asked.

"Well, lets just say Kaiba's as selfish as a lot of people make him out to be," said Jaden with a bitter laugh.

"I hear ya, Jay!" laughed Atticus "But seriously dude, you've changed quite a bit on the outside. You're just as tall as me now, not to mention that you're almost as good as me in the looks department, and believe me I rarely, if ever, complement a guy about his looks. You also seem to be a man on a mission; you have that sense of adventure emitting from you. Man, I bet you have stories to tell."

"That I do, Atticus," he replied.

The ride continued for a while, with Jaden sharing stories about his adventures, and after confirming that Mac was 'cool' about the supernatural (she knew about Nightshroud), Jaden proceeded to tell stories, from the times before he joined Kaiba Corp., before starting to talk about his adventure in Venice.

"So there I was, surrounded by three dragons: Jesse's Rainbow Dragon, Zane's Cyber End Dragon and this new dragon called Stardust Dragon. Stardust attacked, but I was saved by this guy from the future called Yusei!" he exclaimed.

"Wait, the future?!" exclaimed Atticus.

"Yup! He had a sweet ride, and could sense spirits like me. Then, we traveled back in time to stop this bad guy named Paradox, who was trying to kill Pegasus, and prevent duel monsters from ever existing. It was so exciting, and I even got to duel alongside THE YUGI MUTO! It was awesome!" Jaden shouted excitedly.

"Sounds like you had the best of times," said Mac.

"Yeah, I guess I did," replied Jaden.

The limo then stopped. "Mr. Atticus, we've reached our destination," the driver explained over the intercom.

"Alright, thanks," replied Atticus, before turning to Jaden. "Well then, shall we?"

"Yeah, sure. Lets do it!" said Jaden.

* * *

**Part 3**

Jaden walked up to a suburban, two-story residence in the middle of a quiet neighborhood. He rang the doorbell, and after several seconds, he heard a response. "Yes, who is it?" asked a female voice. "I swear, if it's that neighborhood swindler again, I'll ..." she began as she opened the door, but noticed that a tall boy resembling her son was standing at the doorway.

"Hi mom," smiled Jaden.

The woman's expression turned from confusion to shock to utter happiness in a matter of seconds. "Jaden, is that really you!" she screamed at top of her lungs, furiously hugging Jaden in the process. "I haven't seen or heard from you since your graduation! Do you know how worried your father and I were about you?"

Jaden then returned the hug, and said, "Sorry mom, I know I caused you to worry, and if it makes you feel any better, I truly did want to come visit, but I just didn't get the chance. Still, I'm here now."

"Yes, you are," his mom replied, "I'm so glad. So what brings you back after all this while?"

Jaden then took out a document from his bag, and said, "Actually, I wanted to give you my graduation certificate, so you wouldn't worry that much about me anymore, and I want to grab a quick change of clothes."

"That's nice dear, but must you leave so soon? Didn't you just get back?" his mom asked with a concerned look.

"Don't worry, mom. I'm just going to stay over at a friend's house close by for a while, and see some of my old duel academy pals" he said trying to comfort her "Then, I promise, I'll come back to stay for a couple of weeks for Christmas and New Years."

"Well, okay honey. By the way, when do I get to meet some of these friends of yours?" she asked.

"Actually, the friend I'm staying with is right outside. He thought that he should by and say Hi before we go to his place," he explained.

"Oh! What a thoughtful young man. Well, what are waiting for? Let him in!" she said excitedly.

"Sure, but where's dad?" he asked.

"Your father went to the store to buy some stuff. He'll be back soon," his mom explained "More importantly, go tell your friends that they are welcome inside." Jaden then went back to the limo, and told Atticus and Mac that the two were welcome inside. Jaden's mom was was then surprised by the good-looking duo that stepped into her home.

"Mom, this guy is one of my old pals from duel academy, Atticus Rhodes and his girlfriend, Reggie Mackenzie," Jaden introduced the two of them.

"It's a real pleasure, Mrs. Yuki," said Atticus, bowing.

"Good, evening, ma'am," said Mac.

"Oh my, Jaden! How'd you become friends with such beautiful people!" his mom exclaimed in admiration. "Well, come on in. I'll make tea, and we can chat for a bit," and with that, she lead them into the living room. Jaden's dad came back after 20 minutes, and he was just as ecstatic to see Jaden as his mom was, as he was hugging Jaden and crying at the same time. His dad also met the others, and for two hours, they conversed about various topics like dueling, life at the academy, and Jaden's adventures.

"Wow, my son, a Kaiba Corp. employee. To think I'd see the day when my son would get a decent job. I thought my clueless, duel-loving, oddball of a son would never get a decent job," he said through sobs.

"Come on dear, don't embarrass our son in front of his friends," his mom said as she tried to calm her husband down. "By the way, Jaden" she remembered "you haven't told us about your love life."

Jaden nearly spit out his tea. "Mom, now you're embarrassing me!" he complained, while flustered.

"But I really want to know if there are any ladies in your life. I don't want you to die alone, you know..." his mom began preaching, before Jaden cut her off.

"Man, it sure is getting late," Jaden said clearly flustered "I-I better go get my change of clothes," he said, as he left the room, and started climbing the stairs up to his own room.

On the other hand, Atticus thought _"Finally, an opening!"_as he smiled mischievously. "Actually, Mrs. Yuki," Atticus began "I wanted to actually talk to you both about this very topic..." but Jaden had already made his way upwards, and couldn't hear the conversation.

* * *

"Take care, son," Jaden's dad said as he hugged him.

"Of course. Don't worry, I'll be back in time for christmas," he said.

"Please be safe, son," his mother added, the turned to face Atticus. "And Atticus, I hope you can take care of **THAT** matter with my son," she said cheerfully.

"Of course, moth...I mean Mrs. Yuki, leave everything to little old me," replied Atticus.

"Wait, what matter?" Jaden asked.

"Don't worry, Jay, everything's gonna be fine. Just focus on the trip," said Atticus, while smiling.

"Okay" Jaden sighed, as they got into the limo. Jaden waved at his parents, before driving out of sight. After approximately 30 minutes, the limo pulled into the driveway of a luxurious mansion, the biggest in the area. As they stepped inside, Jaden marveled at the place. He had never been inside a house this big or this fancy.

"Well Jaden, have a seat on the couch. TV remote's over there. I'll see if your room's ready, and I'll get back yo you," Atticus said, then he and Mac went upstairs.

On the way upstairs, Mac stopped Atticus, and asked, "Atty, are you sure you did the right thing?" Atticus looked confused, and Mac continued "I mean, you pretty have Jaden's parents sold, but what if the two don't end up together. I don't want to see Alexis end up hurt..." she stopped, as Atticus sealed her lips with a kiss.

"Don't worry, baby," he said after they seperated "I'm the master of love, remember. Plus those two will get together, with minimum interference, you'll see," smiled Atticus.

Mac sighed , then smiled "Alright, but don't get too cocky. You don't wanna get beaten up again for meddling," she teased, then quickly kissed him, and said "I'm going to bed early. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see ya," he responded, then she went to her room. "Now to have the prime suspects meet." It was time for the fated to meet again.

* * *

**So, the parents approved. Jaden's now at the Rhodes residence. All that's left is the fated meeting.**

**I hope this was a good chapter. It's been so long, so I hope I haven't gotten rusty. Thanks for your support. Also, I'm kind of looking for someone to help me proofread future chapters, so if you're interested in doing so, please inform me. I could use all the help I could get.**

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the academy**

**Alexis and Jaden meet again, though not in the way one might expect. We hear about Jaden's adventures in the amazon, and who were those cloaked members from chapter 4. All that and more in Chapter 6: A duel to remeber**

**So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support!**

**With that, I end my turn.**


	6. A Duel to Remember

**A ****good day to all. Cypher 32 here. So this is it, huh! The meeting, after all this time. What happens during that meeting, well... you can see for yourself in the chapter. This was probably one of the funniest, and quirkiest chapters I have ever written. I will only say one thing; jealousy is a fickle thing...**

**Keep that in mind as the story progresses. Thanks for your reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Enough talk; lets move on:**

**Last time on Beyond the Academy**

**Jaden visits his parents after a long while, and a secret plan by Atticus is being set in motion. Jaden arrives at Alexis's house, only to find...**

**So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!**

* * *

Chapter 6: A Duel to Remember

**Part 1**

Atticus opened the door to Alexis's room, after knocking several times, only to find it empty. After searching throughout the household, he asked one of the maids about where she could have gone.

"Oh, Ms. Alexis," she answered "Yes, she actually ran down to the nearby supermarket to buy some ice cream. We're fresh out. She left about 15 minutes before you arrived, Master Atticus."

"Man, at this timing," he began complaining, before shaking his head and saying, "Nope, gotta think positive. Hey, wait a minute. Maybe I can make this work to my advantage. The look on her face, when she sees her boyfriend-to-be on the couch, will be priceless! Lets not spoil the surprise, and see what happens!" A mischievous smile was on his face, as he waited diligently on the staircase, for the opportune moment to strike.

Meanwhile, Jaden started looking through his deck, making sure certain pieces fit, while others that didn't were removed.

"Something on your mind, Jaden?" asked Yubel, as she appeared alongside professor Banner, who had just floated out of Pharaoh's mouth as the cat was yawning.

"Nah, I guess I'm just tired. Once my room's ready, it's lights out for me," he yawned, before asking "Why? What'd you think I was worried about?"

"Oh, I don't know! You're in the house of your bride-to-be, the future . Don't you feel nervous, even if a little?" asked Banner, while teasing Jaden.

"Not nervous, more like excited, and at the same time, worried. I wanna see her just as much as I want to see the others. The problem is that she might hate me for all the harmful things I did to her, including ditching her and the others on graduation day, not to mention that I didn't notice all her attempted phone calls, which she might interpret as me ignoring her, even though it's not my fault that Kaiba wants all his employees to have state-of-the-art high tech phones, and throwing away your old ones. What's worse is that all my contacts were in that phone," he explained while letting out a huge sigh, confused and conflicted over his own feelings. "Which reminds me," he began, "While we're here, why don't you guys answer a question for me; why do you want Alexis and I to be together? I thought that you hated it when others tried to get close to me, especially girls. Isn't that right, Yubel?" he asked, staring at her.

"Listen Jaden," she began, "I learned after you and I fused our souls into one, that we will always be together, and that friends can be a valuable treasure. I also learned that love is necessary in a human's life. Jaden, like I said before, you have my love, always and forever, but I can't provide you with the comfort, kindness and pleasures a human woman can give." She then further clarified her point "Basically, if you have a lover, you can have someone to protect and to treasure, to live together and support each other through thick and thin, to raise a family. Don't you need to have descendants?"

"You're using a lot of big words, Yubel. My head's starting to spin," said Jaden, as Yubel sighed and disappeared.

Banner then asked, "So what's on the agenda for tomorrow?"

"Well, we'll see after discussing it with Atticus," replied Jaden.

"I see. Well, see you tomorrow," he said as he disappeared into Pharaoh's mouth.

Just then, Jaden heard the front door open. "_Wonder who could it be? "_he thought. _"Maybe, it's Alexis's parents. Well, if so, then I better do my hair a little. Don't want to lose that first impression." _As he looked up to greet the person, he saw...

* * *

**Part 2**

On her way back from the store, Alexis began thinking about the conversation she had with her two best friends, Jasmine and Mindy, over the phone the other day, regarding the Duel Academy reunion that was planned next week. She had actually been looking forward to a reunion of old friends, so much that the excitement was killing her.

_"So a reunion, huh. Maybe I'll get to see my old friends, and maybe, just maybe, Jaden will be there," _she thought hopefully. She had occasionally kept in touch with all her other friends, but had not heard from Jaden since graduation day. She had tried texting him many times, but she had never gotten a response, which always left her sad, frustrated and worried. She had seen his face on the news during the Venice incident, but that was it. _"Well, no use thinking too deeply about it. Time to go to my room, eat some ice cream, and head straight to bed,"_ she thought optimistically. After arriving at the front door, she noticed that the lights were on. _"Maybe Atticus got back from his little 'date', and judging from the last date, he'll probably be sulking since Mac probably beat him up for 'flirting' with another girl. What am I going to do with this useless brother of mine," _she thought, while sighing.

As she opened the door, and stepped in, she shouted "Hey Atty, you there? I got some ice cream. We could all..." she stopped as she entered the living room and noticed a certain guy on the couch. The guy looked at her in surprise, and she also had a look of shock on her face, leading her to drop the bag with the ice cream on the floor. She recognized the hairstyle and brown color immediately. She recognized the eyes, and even the face. Before her very eyes was the man she was just thinking about, Jaden Yuki.

Jaden suddenly gave a goofy smile and said, "Hey lex, long time mo see! Didn't know you were out!" Alexis simply stared at him for a couple of minutes, while occasionally rubbing her eyes, thinking that maybe she was dreaming, or that she was seeing things.

"Um, Alexis, you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost," said Jaden nervously.

"J-J-Jaden," she stammered "Is that really you?"

"I guess. I mean, who else would I be?" he smiled.

Tears formed in her eyes, and then she shouted "Jaden! It's really you," as she ran up to him, and wrapped him in a long embrace. "Jaden, I missed you so much," she said, trying to hold back her tears.

"Me too, lex," he replied, as he returned the hug.

The two hugged each other for several minutes, before letting go. "What are you doing here? Where have you been? Why haven't you called? Do you know how worried we were?" Alexis began to bombard him with questions.

"Lex, calm down. Atticus invited me here, after we met at the mall. He said I could stay over, and that's what I'm here for," he said.

Alexis then frowned. "Even now, you keep secrets from me... I mean us! You keep secrets from us, your friends! When you left on graduation day without even so much as a peep from you, we were all bummed out. When you appeared during that incident in Venice, I was really worried that you'd been hurt or worse." She then turned around, anger clearly showing on her face, and continued, "You never tell us anything when it matters the most."

Jaden then panicked. _"I knew it, she's pissed. What can I do to make things right?" _he thought. Jaden then began pleading "Come on, Alexis. I'm sorry I left without warning. I just had stuff to do, places to see and..." That didn't work as Alexis just kept getting angrier. "Oh boy," he sighed, then thought,"_Well, that didn't work. How do I get myself out of this one?"_

_"Hug her," _came Yubel's voice inside his head.

"_Huh?" _he asked confused.

_"You heard me, Jaden. Hug her," _said Yubel in his thoughts.

_"Will it work?" _he asked, with the response being, "_Trust me, it'll work."_

So, Jaden slowly wrapped his arms around Alexis, and said in a soft voice, "Alexis, I'm sorry I left you without warning, and I'm sorry I let you and the others worry about me. I promise it'll never happen again, so please cheer up. I'll do anything for that to happen."

"Anything?" she asked. After getting a nod from Jaden, she left his embrace, and declared, "Then Jaden, let's duel!"

"Huh? Duel?" asked a confused Jaden.

"Yup! I'm still angry for what you did, so I gotta work some of it off. If you win, I'll forgive you. If you lose, well... I'll think of something," she explained "Plus I wanna see how much you've improved after all this time. But lets do it on the table. I don't want to wake up the others."

"Sounds like a plan, lex. I'm game!" smiled Jaden.

"Still the same old Jaden," she sighed "but that's a good thing," she finished in a very tiny voice only she could hear. The two proceeded to the nearby table, where Alexis set up two play mats for the both of them. The two then shuffled their decks and proceeded to duel. "For old times sake Jay, I'm going to use my old cyber ritual deck from our academy days," she declared.

"Alright. Let's duel!" he replied.

Alexis - 4000; Jaden - 4000

Alright Jaden, I'll start. I draw!" she declared. "I summon Cyber Tutu in attack mode (ATK - 1000), and play a face down. Your move."

"My turn, I draw," he declared. After looking at his hand, he smiled apologetically at Alexis and said, "Sorry Alexis, but I'm gonna end it in one turn."

"Oh? Getting cocky, are we? Just try it, Jay!" she replied, daring him to try.

"Okay. I play Mystical Space Typhoon, and destroy your face-down!" he declared. Alexis's face-down, Mirror Force, was destroyed. "Next, I play the spell card, A Hero Lives, and since you control a monster, I can pay half my life points to special summon a level four or lower 'HERO' monster from my deck."

Jaden: (4000 - 2000)

"I summon Elemental HERO Avian in Attack mode (ATK - 1000)" he finished.

"We're tied Jaden! Are you sure you summoned the right HERO?" she asked in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm sure," he replied, then declared "I play polymerization, and fuse my Avian with the Burstinatrix in my hand, to summon Elemental HERO Flame Wingman! (ATK - 2100)"

"OK, I take that back. You've obviously got a plan," she said.

"Indeed I do. I play the equip spell Megamorph, which doubles the attack of my monster, since I've got less life points then you, and I equip it to Flame Wingman (ATK: 2100 - 4200)," he declared.

"This is bad!" Alexis said, while panicking.

"Flame Wingman, attack cyber tutu!" Jaden shouted.

(Alexis: 4000 - 800).

"Now my monster's effect activates, dealing you damage equal to your monster's attack points. Game over, lex!"

(Alexis: 800 - 0).

"Alright lex, that's game!" he smiled, as he said one of his classic catchphrases.

"Strong as always, Jaden," she sighed, "though it might be a different story if I used my new deck."

"I'm sure it would," he smiled as he helped her get to her feet. "By the way lex, what's in the bag?" he asked.

"The bag?" she asked, before remembering "Ah! I forgot the ice cream!" She rushed over to the bag, picked it up and said in a rush "Jaden, come to my room in a bit. I've just got to arrange some things" as she raced upstairs.

_"Man, Alexis got more mature after these couple of years, and at the same time, a little childish too," _he thought. "Well, better go ask Atticus if my room's ready," he said as he moved towards the stairs.

* * *

**Part 3**

In the shadows of the staircase, Atticus had watched the events unfolding in the living room, and to say the least, his plan was more or less a success. "Man, Jaden truly is the pacifier lex needed. He calmed her down within seconds," he smiled. "Alright, operation bro-in-law is a go!" He then moved out, so he could go tell Jaden that his room was ready.

"Hey Atticus," Jaden said as made his way up the stairs.

"Well Jay, your room's ready. Use it whenever you're ready. It's on the second floor, third on the right," explained Atticus.

"Alright, thanks man. By the way, Alexis came back and..." Jaden began.

"Don't worry, man. I saw her as she was running upstairs. She was actually in a very good mood. You do something to her?" Atticus teased.

"Nothing much. We talked, dueled, and now I'm going to her room to have a small chat," replied Jaden.

"Well, that's okay for now I guess," Atticus sighed.

"Why, what's up?" Jaden asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing. You should probably head up to her room for that chat now. Come on, off you go," he began urging Jaden up the stairs "She doesn't like late people." The two of them then arrived right outside Alexis's room, on the second floor.

"Wait, Atticus," he said as Atticus was getting ready to scat. "Didn't you say that my room was the third on the right? Then doesn't that make my room right next to Alexis's room?" he asked.

"Wow, would you look at the time? I'm gonna go see Reg, then I'm hitting the sac. See ya tomorrow!" he said as he hurried to Mac's room on the third floor.

_"Oh well. Maybe it's just a coincidence,"_ he thought. Then, he knocked on Alexis's door.

"Come in, Jaden," she said from inside. Jaden opened the door and stepped inside. It was the first time he'd actually been inside a girl's room, so he was a bit nervous, but what he saw was pretty normal. The room itself was pretty big and spacious. A huge wardrobe with a big mirror on top, was on the right side of the room. On the left was a huge desk with a laptop and a desktop on it, as well as a lot of books, all organized. Next to it was a bookshelf, with more books, as well as several duel monster plushies and dolls. In the middle of the room was a queen-sized bed, with a huge flat-screen TV hanging near the window. The carpet was a bright magenta color, with white stripes. Alexis was sitting at the desk, having changed into a more casual outfit, consisting of a light blue sweater, and a matching black skirt, with knee stockings on both her legs. Jaden blushed a little when he saw her in that outfit.

"You okay, Jaden?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Never better," he stammered.

"Well okay. Take a seat on the bed, please," she said.

Jaden walked to the bed, and sat down as instructed. "It's been a while since we talked like this, lex," he said.

"Yeah, it has," she replied. She then smiled and made a request. "Anyways Jaden, tell me a couple of tales from your adventures."

"You sure, Alexis?" he asked "It's pretty late. I wouldn't want to..."

"It's alright, Jay," she cut in "We've got enough time for a couple of stories. Please?" she asked in a cute voice.

"Alright, why not? I'm game!" So Jaden began telling some of the events and stories from his travels to Alexis, as the night continued on.

* * *

Meanwhile, Atticus had reached the third floor, and was standing right outside of Mac's room. "Hey Reg, you awake?" he whispered outside of her room.

"What is it?" came a tired reply.

"Can I come in and talk to you for a sec?" he asked.

"Alright, but quickly. I'm really tired," she replied.

Atticus opened the door and stepped inside to the sight of his girlfriend wearing a short, one-piece pajama, that really exposed her legs. "Man, seducing your boyfriend with that. You've sure got style, Reg," he smirked.

"Alright Atty, what did you want to talk about?" she asked.

"Well, I had my little sis and Jaden meet up again, and the results were out of this world... for the most part! They are so into each other! Now, if only I could find a way for the both of them to admit it... OW!" he began to shout in pain, as Mac pulled his cheek.

"Didn't I tell you not to interfere. You're going to make things worse..." she began lecturing him, but he stopped her with his hand.

"I know, Mac," he said "But like you said, I don't want the two of them to end up hurt like that. That's why I need to 'help' them without actually helping them. You know what I'm saying Mac?" he asked.

"Not a word," she replied "Now it's pretty late, so go get some sleep."

"Yes, ma'am!" he said with a big grin, as he jumped onto her bed.

"What are you..." she began.

"Please Mac, lets sleep together tonight. I mean in the same bed, nothing sexual or anything. Hehe," he cut in and said.

"For god's sake," she sighed. "Alright, but no sudden movements and no touching anywhere I don't want you too. Capeesh!"

"Aww!" he began pouting "We've been dating for a long while, yet we've never taken that next step."

"I'm sorry Atty. I'm not ready yet, but I promise you that we'll take that step real soon. So please be patient," she said in a cute voice.

"Ah! I can't turn down a request from you, my sweet," he teased, as he hugged Mac tightly. "Well, nighty night," he said.

"Night," she replied.

* * *

**Part 4**

"So, anyways, Yugi summoned his Slifer the Sky Dragon, and I was so fired up, so I attacked with my Neos and then it all went blank!" Jaden exclaimed as he described his fateful duel with Yugi, "though judging by what happened, I guess I lost, though I'm not sure. Anyways, it was awesome!"

"How can you be happy when you were creamed?" sighed Alexis. "Still, you got to duel the king. It's not everyday that you get to duel Yugi Muto, the king of games! You're lucky, Jay."

"Ah, stop embarrassing me lex," he smiled, before the two started laughing. "Alright lex, it's getting really late. I'll tell one more story, then I'll leave you to catch some Z's," he said while yawning.

"Alright Jay, sounds like a plan," she replied.

"Okay, this was a bit before I started working with Jesse and Axel, when I was still traveling solo. I was in Brazil. Nice place, by the way, very colorful," he began. "I was tracking down a source of darkness across the Amazon. Now that place was a total nightmare! Mosquitoes biting you everywhere, wild animals chasing you, piranha infested rivers, you name it! I was lucky to get out alive!" he complained, cringing at the painful memories. "Anyways, I was chasing it down, when it went and possessed a young girl. She was a little younger then you are now, lex. I'd say about 16 or 17 years old. So I did the usual; challenge the darkness to a duel, kick his sorry butt, save the day, the usual," he said.

"So what happened with the girl?" asked Alexis.

"Well, after she woke up, she thanked me, and asked me to come and visit her village," he said.

"Wait," she cut in, "You can speak Portuguese?"

"Another language? Hell no!" he clarified. "But when you've got some handy duel spirits with you, well lets just say that one of them helped translate. Back to the story, I followed her to the village, and it was kind of neat. I mean, it was pretty old-fashioned; did you know that they still live in wooden huts over there?! What was strange, though, was that 95% of the villagers were women."

Alexis scowled after hearing that, but Jaden wasn't paying attention to her. "Of course, there were a few men here and there" he continued. "Based on what I heard when I was there, they all arrived in almost the same manner that I did; they were exploring the jungle, saved the damsel in distress, and wound up being stuck in that village, seeing as the village was apparently cut off from the outside. Well, it was alright in my case, seeing as I could get out whenever I wanted to using my own methods. Anyways, it was okay in the beginning. They fed me great food and I got to teach the kids how to duel. A couple of days later, however, it was a different story. The same girl came up to me that morning, and asked me to be her fiancee."

Alexis twitched at that last word, and a small rage began building inside of her. "Fiancee, huh!" she said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, that," said Jaden, still being unaware of what was going on around him. "Of course, I thought it was like that incident with the tennis club captain back in our first year, and that she wanted to be good friends. So I said yes..."

"WHAT?! Why'd you agree?!" she shouted, cutting him off.

"Wait Alexis, let me finish," he said, **still** unaware of what was going on (Inside of his head, Yubel sighed. "_Jaden, you really are a dense oaf. You're going to get your ass kicked,"_ she thought.). "I said that we could be great friends, but she told me that we'd be more then that. She said that as her fiancee, I was actually going to be her lover, and that I was going to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her. She started blushing after that. At first, I thought she was joking, but after seeing her blush, I started to panic. Which reminds me, lex..."

He finally looked up, to see a very enraged Alexis standing in front of him. "Wait Alexis, what's wrong?" he asked.

"So, you went and got yourself another fiancee, huh!" she said in a very irritated tone.

"Wait Alexis, please let me finish. I told her that she was a cute and kind girl, but I couldn't marry her. She told me that it wasn't a choice, and tried to shoot some sort of dart at me. I escaped the hut, but there was an alarm, and all of a sudden, the whole village was on my tail. Luckily for me, my duel spirits got me away from the area at the last second," he sighed as he remembered those painful days.

Alexis calmed down a little after she heard the last bit, and her anger died down. "By the way, lex. I've been thinking of this since that incident. Back during our first year, when that guy said fiancee, he actually meant..." he asked.

Alexis sighed. "Finally got it through your thick skull. Yes, he meant that whoever won that duel would become engaged to me, or my lover. Well, not that I would have accepted anyways," she explained.

Jaden took a moment to process what he had just heard, and a couple of seconds later, he began to panic. "I'm so sorry, Alexis. I didn't know what the word fiancee meant when I accepted the duel. I just got so pumped to duel him, because they said that his dueling skills rivaled that of Zane at the time, and well... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Jaden apologized and bowed his head several times.

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you" she sighed. "Look, it's been a long time since then, and didn't I already tell you that we were friends, and that it didn't matter. I was a bit angry that nobody took my own feelings and opinions into account, but I could never hate you, Jay. You know that," she smiled.

"Thanks lex," he smiled. "Well (yawn), better get to my room for some shut-eye. See you tomorrow, I guess," he said while doing his favorite pose.

"Yeah, good night Jay," she replied. As soon as Jaden left the room, she began thinking. "_Man, Jaden still has that innocent, naive personality of his, and it's really hard to deal with sometimes, but at the same time, I'm glad. I'm glad that he still has that same smile that I fell in love with. I guess I'll have sweet dreams tonight." _With that, Alexis changed into her pajamas, and went to bed.

* * *

At that time, Jaden entered his room, and jumped onto the queen-sized bed. "Man, this is the life," he said as he got comfy "I wish I could have a bed like this in the trailer. Maybe I'll ask Kaiba to do it."

Yubel and Winged Kuriboh then appeared. "You're asking for the impossible, Jaden. You know Kaiba; he never does anything that doesn't involve crushing Yugi Muto or to further his own interests," said Yubel.

"You're probably right. Still, it's worth a go," he said optimistically.

"Someone's happy," she teased "Does seeing your fiancee after all this time make you feel that happy."

"Kurri Kurri!" agreed Kuriboh.

"Come on, not this again," he sighed. "Whatever, I'm going to bed. See you guys in the morning," he said, before remembering. "Oh, right. Yubel, try and find Pharaoh, please. I haven't seen him since we got here. I hope he hasn't humiliated us.

"Of course, Jaden," she said as she disappeared.

"Kurri," said Kuriboh.

"Yeah, right back at ya, pal," he said, and with that Jaden dozed off.

* * *

"Hey, old fart. When can we make a move."

"Once the time is right. Don't worry, you'll get the chance to prove yourself against his lordship."

"Alright, I'll wait. Just you wait, my king, I'll prove to you that I am the only one who can be by your side, even if it means killing everyone who gets in my way."

* * *

**IT HAPPENED! Jaden and Alexis have met and dueled. Told you that it would be a bit unexpected. I know, the duel was a little short, but come on! Jaden is just too OP, and you know it. So, now how will the two of them proceed now that they're in literally a wall apart. Look forward to finding out. Plus, keep an eye on those last three lines. A few chapters later, those lines will all be explained, but until then...**

**I'm going to let you know, that I will split all the chapters into story arcs. Currently, you're still in the 'Reunion Arc', and each arc will be 10 chapters long, except for the last two arcs of the story. I guess, in light of that, I'll reveal the remaining chapter titles of this arc:**

**Chapter 7: The Next Generation  
Chapter 8: Showdown at the Arcade  
Chapter 9: Dense as a Brick  
Chapter 10: A Fiery Encounter**

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the academy**

**Jaden has a few words with his old pal Syrus, and what was supposed to be a planning session for the day ahead, turned into a battle of the sexes, as Jaden and Mac duel it out. The decks of the next generation are finally revealed... All this and more in Chapter 7: The Next Generation**

**So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support!**

**With that, I end my turn.**


	7. The Next Generation

**A good day to all. So, it's summer time. The season where everyone's just glad school's over. The season of beaches, vacations or just being plain lazy. It's a shame I can't have any of that just yet. Damn you life!**

**Enough ranting; back to the story. I will finally release one of many original card decks and themes that I have created over the years. I sure hope you like it, and don't worry if you get nothing from simply reading the chapter; all card details, effects, lore, etc. will be explained in the afterword. **

**Last time on Beyond the Academy:**

**Jaden and Alexis meet up after a long while, and with that things are starting to look bright for our young protagonist, but with the light come shadows...**

**Thank you for following the story up until now! You guys make writing so rewarding!**

**So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!**

* * *

Chapter 7: The Next Generation

**Part 1**

Morning dawned on the Rhode's household. Alexis, who got up a little earlier then usual, dressed into a casual outfit, consisting of a light blue sweater and matching blue jeans, along with a pair of white socks. After brushing her teeth, and doing the usual bathroom check-up, she sat down at her desk, thinking of the events that had happened on the previous night.

"_I got to see Jaden again! Man, he hasn't changed a bit, yet at the same time, it's like he's gotten a lot more manlier since the last time I saw him,_" she thought while blushing, then her blush turned into a frown. "_T__hough it might be just me hallucinating, or dreaming that I saw him. After all, it wouldn't be the first time... No, that was definitely him. After all, no one else that I know of is that naive. _" She sighed, then exited her room. After leaving her room, she ran into Atticus on the way down.

"Morning, little sis," he yawned.

"Yeah, morning Atty. Where's Mac? Wasn't she with you?" she asked.

"She went down for breakfast already. It's kind of hard to believe that she's such a light sleeper," he commented, before suggesting "Anyways, why don't you go wake Jaden up for breakfast."

"Sure thing. If he's still the same guy, then he'd still be snoozing like there's no tomorrow," she sighed.

"Well then, maybe you should wake your sleeping prince with a kiss," he teased. "Smooch, smooch,..." he stopped after seeing his sister in front of him, ready to beat the crap out of him.

"Say that again, and even the cops won't recognize you when I'm done," she said in a calm, irritated voice, with an emotionless expression.

Atticus's face went pale, and his limbs went numb. "Y-ye-yes, sis," was all he could mutter, as he slowly made his way back down to the kitchen.

"Honestly, that brother of mine," she sighed, as she began to calm down "something like kissing..." she blushed at the thought, then shook her head, while saying, "No, no, no, no! I'm just going to wake him up." After resolving herself, she went to his room, and knocked on the door. "Hey Jaden, you up? It's breakfatst" she asked. After several seconds without a reply, she assumed that he was asleep, and decided to wake him up. She slowly opened the door, and took a look around. On the bed, she saw Jaden all sprawled over, drooling and talking in his sleep.

"But I don't wanna eat anymore celery, mommy. I'm a big boy now! Why can't we have fried shrimp instead!" he said while smiling "MMMM! Fried Shrimp..." and with that last phrase, he began drooling even more.

"Fried Shrimp. Why am I not surprised?" she sighed. She then moved over to the side of the bed, and began calling out to him "Wake up Jaden, it's morning. Breakfast's ready." Jaden just turned around to the side, revealing a slightly exposed chest. Alexis blushed a little. "_Wow! Jaden's chest is actually quite well-built and muscular. Are all guys like that?_" she thought.

At that moment, Jaden opened his eyes and said "Huh? What happened? What was I doing?" as he yawned.

"Morning sleepyhead," said Alexis.

"Oh, morning Alexis. What's up?" he smiled at her.

"At least be a little concerned. A girl just walked right into your room. Shouldn't you be nervous, or better yet, shocked?" she asked.

"Yeah, but it's you Alexis. We're friends, aren't we? I'm sure you just wanted to wake me up, cause I slept too long, like any good friend would, so why would I find it weird? Plus, it's not like you haven't been in my room before," he stated.

Alexis sighed, and said "We really need to work on that innocent personality of yours. Anyways, breakfast's ready, so come down after you get changed," and with that, she left his room.

"Well, better get ready. Wouldn't want to keep the waiting any longer," he said. Jaden then got up and changed into a new pair of dark blue jeans, a black short-sleeved shirt, and a red jacket that was similar to his Slifer red jacket from his academy days, only not as torn and muddy as it is now. On his way out, Yubel appeared. "Oh, morning Yubel! You find Pharaoh yet?" he asked.

"Yes, I did. He actually spent the night with the maids. Apparently to them, he was 'cute and squishy', and they spent the time feeding him and petting him. Right now, he's on Alexis's lap, and she's currently feeding him again," she answered.

"That little rascal! What am I going to do with him?" he sighed "Well, he'll just have to walk the weight off later, I guess." As he moved towards the staircase, Yubel stopped him.

"Wait Jaden," she said.

"Huh. What is it, Yubel?" he asked.

Yubel paused for a moment, before shaking her head and saying, "It's nothing. Forgive me, Jaden."

"Is that so?" he asked. "Well, I'm off to eat!"

* * *

**Part 2**

Jaden stepped into the kitchen, to find that the others were waiting for him to arrive.

"Morning Jay. What kept ya? You know that it's a golden rule not to let your girlfriend wait for you... OUCH!" Atticus cried out, as Mac pulled his cheek.

"Please don't start something so early in the morning," Mac said, as she glared at him, which made him freeze up.

"Still, you didn't have to pull my cheek," he complained, as he began rubbing his sore cheek.

"I'll keep that in mind" laughed Jaden, as he sat at the table. "Man, this is some awesome grub," he said, marveling at the food that was on the table.

"Well, they only cook this much when we have guests," said Alexis "Looks like it's your lucky day, Jay."

"Yes it is! Thank you for the food!" With that, he dug in.

After breakfast, the group was sitting in the living room, watching the latest dueling news, when Atticus remembered something. "Oh, right! Sis, did you tell Jaden about that?" he asked.

Alexis looked confused, before remembering the same thing. "No, I didn't. Thanks for reminding me, Atty," she said, then turned towards Jaden and continued. "Actually Jay, we received an invitation from duel academy."

"An invitation. What for?" he asked.

"Apparently, Chancellor Sheppard wants to host a reunion of our 'golden generation' of duel academy. It seems like our graduating class was the best in the academy's long history. It's going to happen next week. Atty and I both got our invitations just a couple of days ago, and Mac's coming with us as a special guest from Duel Academy America," she explained.

"That's funny, I never actually got one," he said.

"Maybe you should ask your parents, Jaden. It might've been sent to your house," Mac pointed out.

"Great idea, Mac! I'll check with them in a bit. Also Alexis, could you give me Syrus's number?" Jaden requested.

"Syrus? Don't you have his number?" she asked, confused.

"I did, just like I had yours, but Kaiba made me get a new phone, and I lost all my contacts, partially because, well, I'm not good with phones. That's also why I haven't been able to stay in touch with you," he said with a sad smile.

"Don't worry about it too much, Jay. You're here now, and that's all that matters. Anyways, here's the number," she smiled, as she wrote down the number on a small piece of paper. Jaden took the number from Alexis, then excused himself, and made his way upwards to talk to his old friend, and 'little bro'.

* * *

In the middle of the city, at a small eatery, sat a short boy with light blue hair. He wore a pair of small sized glasses, which was probably his most distinguishing feature, other then his hair. The others in the place had already recognized him. "Hey, isn't that kid the pro duelist Truesdale." "Yeah, it's him. Man, he looks so much different off camera." "I heard, that not only is a great duelist, but also really cute!" "Yeah, he is kinda cute, isn't he!" was some of the gossip he heard.

The boy sighed. "_We came here, cause we thought it'd be quiet, but man there are a lot of people here today. Though most of them probably came to see Zane. Speaking of which, where is he_?" thought the boy.

As he was pondering about the whereabouts of his older brother, his phone began to ring. As he looked at the caller's ID, he thought, "_Huh! An unknown number! Who could it be?_" He picked up the phone, half expecting it to be a prank phone call, and answered nervously "H-Hello."

"Syrus, is that you pal! Man, it's been ages!" came the voice on the line. The boy named Syrus had heard this voice before, though the last time he did was a long time ago.

"Jaden, is that you bro?" Syrus asked expectantly.

"The one and only! How have you been, Sy," said Jaden.

Syrus was silent for a moment, before "JAAAAADENN! I MISSSEDDDD YOUUUUU, BROOOO!" Syrus was crying and shouting into the phone.

"Woah, chill dood! You're a man. Don't get all emotional in public," sighed Jaden.

"I'm sorry, Jay. It's just (sniff) been ages, and ... and (sniff) I'm just glad that I could hear your voice again, big bro!" Syrus could barely contain his happiness at hearing his best friend's voice again after all this time.

"When you left without warning," he began, after calming down and after the stares died down, "I was sad. We all were sad and disappointed at the fact that'd we probably never see you again."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'm just not good with goodbyes. But I'm back in Domino for a while, and I'm happy to say, that I'm probably going to that duel academy reunion next week," Jaden responded happily.

"Really! That's great news, Jay! I got my invitation last week, and was still contemplating whether or not I should go, but now that you're going, I'm definitely going to be there!" Syrus declared happily.

"Great man, can't wait! So, how's Zane?" asked Jaden.

"He's doing great. I'm actually waiting for him right now. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear that you're going to the reunion!" said Syrus enthusiastically.

"That's great, Sy! Listen, mind letting everyone know that I'm okay, and I'm coming to that reunion. I kinda got a new phone, and lost all my contacts," said Jaden.

"Bummer, Jay. But that explains why you haven't called in a while. Alright, will do Jay! I'll let everyone know," said Syrus.

"Well, thanks Sy. See ya next week," and with that, Jaden hung up.

At that moment, Zane Truesdale stepped into the cafe, and sat at the table. The man was pretty tall, and had long, dark blue hair, and looked more serious compared to Syrus's cute and cuddly look. The first thing he noticed, was that Syrus was happier then usual. In fact, Zane hadn't seen him this happy in months.

"Syrus, you seem to be in good spirits," he pointed out.

"Yeah! Hey, guess what Zane? I got a call from Jaden," Syrus announced.

Zane was stunned for a moment, before regaining his composure. "Is that so?" he asked. "What'd he say?"

"Well actually Zane, he's going to that reunion. You know, the one at duel academy," replied Syrus.

"Oh! So he's actually going to show up," Zane said with a small smile "Well now, this trip to duel academy might actually be worthwhile."

"It is, big bro! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go make some calls," Syrus said, as he got up and went to a quiet corner to make his calls.

Zane began thinking, "_Jaden, huh? Wait, maybe that's why the Chancellor wanted me to do **that.**.._" Zane's smile got wider, as he thought, "_Maybe you and I can finally settle the score, Jaden_!"

* * *

**Part 3**

After hanging up on Syrus, Jaden proceeded to dial in his home phone number. After a few rings, his mom picked up the phone. "Hi mom!" he said.

"Hi, sweetie. Nice of you to call. Something on your mind?" she asked.

"Well actually mom, I wanted to ask you about the nail you received over the past week. Did you get one from duel academy?" he asked.

"Hang on, let me check," she said, then the line went silent. After a couple of minutes, his mom got back on the line. "Actually sweetie, there was a letter from the DA, but it was addressed to you, so your father and I put it aside until you got back. Which reminds me, we completely forgot to give it to you! Sorry, honey!" his mom apologized over the phone.

"It's alright, mom. Just keep it with you, and I'll come pick it up in a few days," he said.

"Why? What's so important about it?" she asked.

"It's actually an invitation to a reunion for our class of graduates. I'm thinking of going, so I can see my old friends again," he explained.

"Alright, sweetie. I'll keep this here until you pass by to pick it up. See you then," she said.

"Yeah, see ya mom," he replied, as he hung up.

Jaden then began pondering about something. Why on Earth did the DA send over the invitation, when he clearly wasn't at home? Did they expect him to come home at this time? Did someone tip them off about the fact that he was coming home? "_Ah! All these complicated thoughts are giving me a headache! Why can't the answer always be as easy and as clear as dueling!_" he thought.

He then made his way downstairs, where the others were chatting. "Well, what did she say?" asked Mac.

"Yep, it seems you were right, Mac," he said "It's currently with my parents. I told them that I'd go pick it up in a few days."

"Alright!" exclaimed Atticus. "Next week, we'll go to duel academy, and hang out with everyone!"

"So, what's on today's agenda, Atticus?" asked Jaden.

"Well, we should probably go shopping for Christmas and all, but we'll do that later," he replied. "How about we go to the arcade, and have a blast," he suggested excitedly.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," came the happy reply from Jaden.

"A plan for you guys maybe, but not for us," said a disapproving Alexis.

"How about we have a nice picnic at the nearby park, especially since it isn't snowing today, and the park's been fully shoveled clean of snow!" suggested Mac.

"Yeah, that'll be fun!" smiled Alexis. "We could play games, swap stories and even eat. I know, Mac, why don'y you and I cook for a change. It'll be fun!"

"But I'm not as experienced as you are at cooking, and I might, you know, screw up," said Mac.

"It'll be alright. Let your 'little sis' teach you everything you need to know," Alexis winked, and Mac blushed a little in embarrassment.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do," replied Mac confidently.

"Wait a sec, I object!" shouted Atticus. "The arcade is fun. You can play games, get good grub, win prizes, meet chi..."

"Atty, I hope you weren't going to say 'meet chicks," Mac shot him a cold glare.

"Of course not," stammered Atticus. "I meant meet children, you know, kids who share our passion in gaming, which are of course guys. Not girls!" Atticus laughed as he tried to cover up his intentions. "What about you, Jay?" he asked.

"I don't know, man. I mean a trip to the arcade sounds tempting, but a picnic might be some good fun, too. Plus, I tried some of Alexis's cooking a few times, and it was some of the best I've ever had!" Jaden gave a genuine smile after that statement.

Alexis began blushing, while Mac, noticing that Alexis was blushing, began giggling softly.

"NOOO! Jaden, my comrade, don't let these girls sway you! Think about the games, the prizes, the food. If you go to the arcade, you'll be able to enjoy all the pizza, hamburgers and corn-dogs you can eat, on the house!" Atticus gave an evil smile. "There are also some rare cards as prizes for the winner."

"Woah! Sweet grub and rare card prizes, now that's cool!" exclaimed Jaden.

Alexis sighed, while Atticus retained his evil smile while thinking "_Hehe. That's right, Jaden. You're mine now, hook, line and sinker!_"

Mac began complaining, "Hey Atty, that's not fair. You played dirty!"

"Me! Play dirty! What are you talking about?" he played dumb.

"Of course Jaden would be swayed by good food and card prizes," she explained.

"No, Jaden is with me, cause us guys gotta stick together, right Jay?" he smiled.

"Guys, we don't have to fight. I know, how about we..." Jaden stopped due after receiving glares from both sides.

"There is no other option! Choose!" they both shouted in unison. Jaden began backing down due to the intensity and pressure from both sides, when Alexis came to his rescue.

"Guys, stop this. Can't you see that you're troubling our guest," she pointed out.

The two calmed themselves, and apologized while bowing. "We're sorry, Jaden. We both got carried away."

"It's alright, I got it. We can't reach a group decision, so how about this; Lets do it the old fashioned way. Let's duel!" he declared. The others looked at Jaden with surprise for a moment, while Jaden continued, "It'll be the boys vs. the girls. I'll represent the boys team of Atticus and I, and you two can pick who'll represent the girl's team. Winner makes the final call. Deal?" he asked, while looking confident.

"Fine, Jay. We'll take you on. I'll represent the girl's team," said Mac.

Alexis then pulled her back suddenly, and asked, "Would you please excuse us for a moment?"

The two moved into the hallway, before Alexis said, "Mac, are you serious? No offense, you're good. In fact, in my opinion, you're the best female duelist on campus, but Jaden's on a different level then any of the duelists you've faced before. In fact, he's on a totally different level," with concern in her voice.

"Relax, lex. I know he's as good as you say, because I know a good duelist when I see one, and it's because he's that good, that I want to duel him. You know what, I think I'll go ahead and use 'that' deck," Mac smiled confidently.

"Wait, you mean..." gasped Alexis.

"That's right, these next generation decks that were given to the elite students of duel college, the one's designed by Pegasus himself," she smiled confidently.

"Are you sure? Have you fully mastered it, yet?" asked Alexis.

"To a degree. This will be a field test of sorts for this deck," replied Mac, then she began making her way to the backyard for the duel, but stopped and said, "Listen lex, win or lose, it's irrelevant, because of Jaden's a one-of-a-kind person, then I know he'll make the right choice, and I know that you know it too. Well, wish me luck!"

"Sure thing, Mac," smiled Alexis, as the two of them made their way to the backyard.

* * *

**Part 4**

The two duelist stood on opposite ends of the yard. "Jaden, Jaden, he's our man!" Atticus cheered from the sideline, while Alexis simply stood next to him, watching the duel from up close.

"Jaden Yuki, I've heard the rumors. The 'eternal slifer' and the best duelist to graduate from duel academy in years. Now, I finally get to duel you. It's actually quite the honor," said Mac.

"Yeah, same here. I've always wanted to take on the top duelist's from other countries, and now I get that chance. I'm fired up!" he declared excitedly, as the two of them declared their mutual respect for one another.

"In honor of this duel, Jaden, I'm going to show a you a brand new deck that you (and most people, for that matter) haven't seen before," she declared.

"A new deck! Sweet! Alright, time to start. Get your game on, Reggie," declared Jaden.

(Jaden LP: 4000) (Mac LP: 4000)

"I'll start," Jaden announced. "I'll set a monster face-down and end my turn."

"Alright, my turn, I draw," she announced. Mac looked at her hand, and thought, "_All right, now's the time._"

"I summon Protection Seeker in attack mode," she announced.

"Seeker?" Jaden asked.

"I'll explain after the duel," she replied. A female warrior holding two daggers, and clad in a cloak of thunder, appeared

(Protection Seeker/level 4/Thunder/ATK: 1400)

"Alright, my monster, attack Jaden's face-down," she declared.

"Too bad, Mac," he replied. "My monster was Elemental Hero Clayman, and his defense points are 2000, so you take damage."

(Mac LP: 4000 - 3400)

"That's odd. Reg usually isn't that reckless," commented Atticus.

"Maybe she was just trying to find out what Jaden's face-down was," said Alexis.

"I play two face-downs and end my turn, Jay," declared Mac.

"Alright, I draw," Jaden drew a card. "I activate fusion sage, which allows me too add a polymerization spell card to my hand, which I activate, and fuse my Clayman with the Elemental HERO Sparkman in my hand," he announced "and summon Elemental HERO Thunder Giant!" (ATK: 2400/Level 6) "Now, I activate his effect, allowing me to destroy 1 monster on the field when he's summoned. Go, destroy her seeker."

"Not so fast, Jay. I play a trap," she declared. Her Seeker was gone, but a trap was face-up. "I play Seeker's vengeance. When a 'Seeker' monster is sent from the field to the graveyard, all the battle positions of all monsters you control are changed, so your giant is in defense mode and can't attack (DEF: 1500)," she declared.

"Nice moves. I think I'll play a face-down and end my turn," he said.

"Now, I activate my Protection Seeker's special ability, and add it to my hand, because it was destroyed this turn, provided that I don't summon it this turn, then I draw," she declared, as a smile crept to her face. "I activate the spell card logic cube, which allows me to add a spell card to my hand, because I control no monsters on my field. Next, because I control no monsters, I normal summon Hypersonic Seeker in attack mode without a tribute," she declared. A monster clad in a robe of thunder, with a short sword in it's hand appeared.

(Hypersonic Seeker/level 8/Thunder/ATK: 2300)

"The catch is that his Attack points go down by 500 (ATK: 2300 - 1800), but it's worth it," she said "Next, I activate the equip spell, Laser Wing, that allows a LIGHT monster under 2000 attack points to attack my opponent directly, provided that it's the only monster that can attack this turn, and it switches to defense mode at the end of the turn, with it's defense points halved."

"Directly!" he exclaimed.

"Yup," she nodded "Now my monster, attack!"

(Jaden LP: 4000 - 2200)

"I end my turn with another face-down, so my seeker switches to defense mode (DEF: 2500), and has it's defense mode, and loses half it's defense (DEF: 2500 - 1250)" she declared.

"My turn, I draw," he announced.

"It seems that Reg really is more aggressive then usual," commented Atticus. "It's as if she's trying to push Jaden, more then she's trying to win."

"Maybe you're just thinking things, Atty," said Alexis.

"I play fusion recovery," declared Jaden "and return Sparkman and polymerization back to my hand. Then, I play 'E-Emergency Call', which allows to add a HERO monster to my hand, in this case, Elemental HERO Avian. Next, I play polymerization and fuse Avian, Sparkman and the Bubbleman in my hand, to summon one of my most powerful, classic fusions. Please welcome, Elemental HERO Tempest," he declared. (Level 8/ ATK: 2800) I then switch thunder giant to attack mode."

"Interesting, Jay. You've brought out two top notch fusions. I'm really impressed," she smiled.

"Thanks, but you should be a bit more concerned about your situation. Thunder Giant, attack her seeker!" he declared, as the giant shot thunder out of it's hands and destroyed the seeker. "Then, tempest attacks you directly," he declared.

(Mac LP: 3400 - 600)

"I play both my face-downs" she declared "The first is the trap card, Aquabeam Prison, which returns a monster that attacked this turn back to the deck, and in the case of your tempest, the extra deck." Tempest was trapped in pillars of light, and disappeared from the field. Then I play a quick-play spell card called Invincible Aura. When I take damage that decreases my life points below the 1000 mark, I draw three cards" she drew "then, for each type of card I drew (monster, spell, trap), I gain a certain effect." She looked at her draw, then declared "I drew two spells and a monster, so Jaden, for each spell card, you take 700 points of damage, for a total of 1400 points of damage!"

(Jaden LP: 2200 - 800)

"As for the monster," she continued, "I get to draw another card," as she drew.

"Nice! I play a face-down, and end my turn," he said.

"I draw, then play my own polymerization, and fuse the light and thunder seekers in my hand, to summon my ace monster, Karma Lightning Seeker!" she declared.

(Karma Lightning Seeker/level 9/Thunder/ATK: 2700/Fusion)

"Next, I summon Protection Seeker," she said.

"This isn't looking good for Jaden," said Alexis.

"Don't worry, your boyfriend will be fine, lex. You have to have faith," smiled Atticus.

"Normally, I'd beat you down, but I'll let it slide, cause you're right about the second part," she said.

"Alright, Karma Seeker, attack his Thunder Giant," declared Mac. A flash of lightning, and the giant was gone.

(Jaden LP: 800 - 500)

"Now, I play my face-down, the flute of summoning Kuriboh, which allows me to summon my Winged Kuriboh from my deck in defense mode!" he declared.

"Kurri, Kurri!" the little Kuriboh said. (DEF: 200)

"Wow, it's so much cuter up close!" she said, marveling at the little monster. "Alright, Protection Seeker, destroy that Kuriboh and end the battle phase," she declared "I play a face-down, and end my turn."

"Alright, let's end this. I draw!" he declared. After looking at his cards, he smiled and declared "I play Pot of greed, which allows me to draw two cards from my deck. Next I play Mystical Space Typhoon, and destroy your face-down. Then, I summon Elemental HERO Wildheart in attack mode (ATK: 1500)."

"What! Why? Even if you destroy my other seeker, I'll only lose 100 life points. What are you plotting?" she asked.

"Ah! But I haven't played this yet, have I," he revealed the card, as 'H-Heated Heart', a card that increases a HERO monster's attack power by 500. "I think it's settled, Mac," he smiled.

Mac was shocked at first, but she then smiled. "So it is."

(Mac LP: 600 - 0)

With that, the duel ended. "Alright, that's game!" he said.

"Jay-man, we won!" Atticus jumped up and down in joy.

"So, what's it gonna be, Jay?" asked Mac.

"Like I was saying earlier, how about we go to the picnic first, enjoy the outdoors a little, then spend the rest of the day at the arcade. A compromise for everyone," he explained.

The others looked at him with shocked expressions for a second, before "Well, I guess. Okay, lets do that," smiled Atticus.

"Alright, smart choice Jay," said Mac, before turning back to Alexis and winking. Thus, the fun trip began.

* * *

On their way out, Alexis caught up with Mac.

"Congrats on the duel. You played well, despite losing it all in the end, but between you and me, why'd you take it easy on him? I know you had that combo in your hand, so why didn't you use it?" asked Alexis.

Mac smiled, and said "Very perceptive, lex. That's true, I had this spell card and this monster in my hand." She took out her deck, and showed Alexis the two cards. The first was a quick-play spell card called rapid regeneration, a card that allows you to tribute a level 8 or higher monster from your hand or from the field, to special summon a level 7 or lower monster from your hand, provided that monster had the same attribute and type. The second card was a monster called Archery Seeker, a level 7 monster with 2900 attack, that had the ability to inflict piercing battle damage, and inflicting 500 points of damage each time a Seeker successfully attacked.

"Then why didn't you..." Alexis began, before Mac put a finger on her lips.

"That's only half the story," Mac explained. "I showed Jaden the combo I could've played to tease him a little, but he countered by showing me the last card in his hand, a card that would have turned the tables in an instant."

Alexis was confused, but remembered the incident with Chazz, back in their first year at duel academy, and smiled "That's Jaden for you. So what card was it?"

Mac thought for a second, then playfully said "It's a secret!"

Alexis sighed. "I swear, you're picking up some of Atty's habits."

Mac laughed a bit, then showed a serious expression. "A word of advice, Alexis. After studying him since yesterday, Jaden seems to be like a real catch. Not only are his looks top notch, but his kind and caring personality can attract a lot of girls to him, his character is pure and noble, something that is rare these days. His dueling skills are, like you said, miles ahead of most, something people will really look at. Should I continue?" she asked.

"What are you trying to say?" Alexis asked with a confused look.

Mac sighed, and hugged the girl. "Listen Alexis, we've been friends since way back when we were kids, so I know the real you, and how the real you feels. When Atticus first told me about Jaden, and how you really felt about him, along with your failed confession, I was sad too; Sad that you'd probably never find love like that again, especially with you being the workaholic that you are, but you're lucky, you know. Fate's given you another chance, so take it. If you don't tell him how you feel this time, and he ends up with someone else, you'll regret it forever," she said concerned, "and I don't want to see that happen to the both of you."

Alexis seemed stunned for a second, before saying "Thank you, Mac, and you're right. I promise you, I'll tell him before he leaves again. I'm not going to hesitate this anymore. Just let me find the right moment," and with that, she went outside to catch up to the others.

Mac sighed . "The right chance, huh? Maybe I can set it up," she smiled, before frowning. "I really am becoming like him, huh."

* * *

Somewhere on duel academy island, in a remote area of the forest, a group of people with their faces covered by hoods were sitting at a long, rectangular table.

"So, are the preparations complete," the person at the far end spoke.

"Yes, my liege. 'He' is coming to the academy for the reunion, as planned. I made sure his parents got the invitation," one of the members spoke.

"Excellent. Soon, you will rise to lead us, our supreme king."

* * *

**Man, what a great chapter. So, Alexis makes a promise. Lets see if she can keep it to the end! But wow, what a deck! Jaden looked to be on the edge at one point. The conversation between Alexis and Mac still poses a question, though; Did Mac really take it easy, and purposely give up the win, or was that card truly a life saver that Jaden would have used to win it all? The answer... I'll leave it to your imagination!**

**The first of the next generation decks is know as the 'Seekers'. Their card lore is as follows:**

_Lords of the storm. They are fighters who transcended all by bonding with the natural element of thunder itself. With their bodies shrouded in Thunder, and their warrior blood boiling, they constantly **seek** out their next opponents to prove their might and skill, and to strengthen themselves._

**They are basically a group of warriors who 'evolved' by bonding with thunder,making them stronger, and they seek out strong opponents to fight. Here are some of the cards used in the duel:**

**Protection Seeker  
Level 4/LIGHT/Thunder  
Atk: 1400/Def: 1200  
Effect: When this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, at the end of that turn, add it to your hand. You can't summon this card until the end of your opponent's next turn.**

**Seeker Vengeance  
Trap/Counter  
Effect: When a seeker monster is destroyed by battle, change the battle positions of all your opponent's monsters on the field.**

**Hypersonic Seeker  
Level 8/LIGHT/Thunder  
Atk: 2300/Def: 2500  
Effect: When you control no monsters, and your opponent controls at least 1, you can normal summon this card without tributing, but it's attack decreases by 500. You can't conduct any other summon (normal, special, etc.) the turn you activate this effect.**

**Invincible Aura  
Spell/Quick-play  
Effect: If you take damage that drops your life points below 1000, draw 3 cards. For each monster card, draw 1 card. For each spell card, inflict 700 points of damage to your opponent. For each trap, discard 1 card from your opponent's hand.**

**Karma Lightning Seeker  
Level 9/LIGHT/Thunder/Fusion  
Atk: 2700/Def: 3200  
"Light Seeker" + "Thunder Seeker"  
When this card is fusion summoned, you can flip a coin. If heads, decrease this card's attack to 0, and increase your life points by the same amount. If tails, then all monsters on the field are destroyed, and both players take damage equal to the total attack of the destroyed monsters.**

**So those are examples of some of the new cards. Hope you liked them. If you still don't get anything, feel free to ask.**

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the academy**

**Jaden spends the day having fun... or does he. What was supposed to be a fun trip to the arcade, turned into the mother of all smack-downs after Jaden's dense personality finally ticked Alexis off. Does Bridget make a re-appearance? All this and more in Chapter 8: Showdown at the Arcade**

**So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support!**

**With that, I end my turn.**

**my turn.**


	8. Showdown at the Arcade

**A good day to all. So I'm back for the next chapter, and I feel that sparks are going to fly after this one, though I can't blame Jaden on this one in particular. After all, boys will be boys, right... or am I?**

**Thanks for the support in your reviews. Your positive energy is what drives me to write more! Please keep it up! Also, please keep sending your thoughts and ideas. I won't be able to add or use them immediately, but don't fret; I will be using them down the road. There's one guest in particular who recommended something interesting...**

**One of you has said that I don't add comas after quotes. I have tried to fix that a little, but if I'm wrong, can you please elaborate with an example? I could use all the help I could get.**

**Last time on Beyond the Academy:**

**Jaden and Syrus have a little hearty conversation, and Zane seems like he's got a plan in mind for Jaden. Elsewhere, one of the new decks are revealed, but who else got Pegasus's decks, and why...**

**By the way, one of the original Yugioh! characters makes a small cameo, but it's the last person you'd expect, so please look forward to that!**

**So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Showdown at the Arcade

**Part 1**

After waiting for the girls to cook the picnic food, they then headed over to the park. Although the park was shoveled clean of snow, the area was still pretty cold, so all of them had put on their winter gear. After they found a nice spot under a large tree to sit down, Atticus and Jaden set up the rug, while Mac and Alexis prepared everything else, which included setting up the food.

"Well everyone, this is the lunch made by Mac and I. Please dig in!" smiled Alexis. The girls had prepared a lunch that consisted of club sandwiches, a healthy amount of garden salad and rice balls with various fillings inside, along with some homemade cookies and lemonade. During and after lunch (of which Jaden had eaten 10 helpings of and Alexis, who expected as much, made plenty of), they began swapping stories and making jokes about their time at duel academy. It was then that Jaden asked a question, that triggered the rest of the day's events.

"So, how'd you and Mac meet, Atticus?" he asked.

The duo slightly blushed at the question, before Atticus answered him. "Well Jay, Alexis, Mac and I are all childhood friends. Our dad's were best friends from college, so during the time Mac lived over here in Domino, we frequently used to meet. It was around the time lex and I went to duel academy during our middle school years, that Mac went back home to America, and we didn't see her again until we all met up at Duel College several years later. Man, was I stunned by how much she had changed over that time span. I mean, look at her! She's a real knockout, ain't she!" Mac furiously blushed as Atticus gave his answer. "I guess I confessed, and she accepted, though not right away, but who can resist my manly charm... OW!OW!OW!" he continued, before Mac began pinching his cheek.

"I accepted," she began, "because you began begging, and were for some reason so desperate to date me, you actually cried, and I found myself pitying you, so I just said yes."

Jaden and Alexis began laughing really hard after hearing that, while Atticus began acting hurt. "What? You mean all those days that you said that you loved me were lies?!"

"Yup! I did it as a favor to Alexis, who didn't want to see you heartbroken," she said, as she playfully winked at the two of them.

Atticus then embraced her, and shouted while pretending to sob, "I'm sorry (sniff) Mac! I'll be better (sniff)! Just don't leave me!"

"Please stop it, Atty. People are watching," she sighed as she hit him on the head. Jaden and Alexis continued laughing hard, until Mac asked, "Well, you two are certainly getting a kick out of all this. Now that we're on topic, any ladies in your life, Jaden?", with a mischievous smile on her face.

Alexis instantly stopped laughing, and looked at Mac with shock, while Atticus chipped in.

"Yeah Jay, tell us about your love life," he said.

Jaden began thinking before he finally responded by saying, "Well, I don't really know a lot of girls, so I've never actually been in that kind of relationship." Atticus and Mac gave looks of disappointment, while Alexis gave a small sigh.

"However, I did go on a couple of dates before I started working for Kaiba," he recalled. Alexis twitched her eyebrows, while Atticus and Mac looked at each other in surprise, while he continued. "It was nothing serious. Sometimes, when I save a girl possessed by darkness, she invites me to a meal or something, to express her gratitude, so I guess that date was the wrong word, though there was that one time a girl was holding my hand the whole time, and she asked me to spend the night with her at this weird hotel, with a heart-shaped logo."

Alexis began losing her composure, and gritting her teeth in frustration, but Jaden wasn't paying attention. Atticus marveled at the story, while Mac, noticing the state Alexis was in, gulped and asked "So Jay, did you go inside with her?"

"Nope! I apologized and said that I had something more important to do, and that I had to be on my way. When she asked why, I told her that I simply can't stay in a hotel room with a girl I don't really know, and that I don't really know what a 'love hotel' is, if that's what it was called," he responded with a smile.

Mac and Atticus both fell down, stupefied. Alexis, who had regained her composure, simply sighed and said "Typical Jaden", unaware of the small smile of relief that had crept onto her face.

"By the way, what is a love hotel? Is it different from a regular hotel?" he asked.

The other three blushed as they heard the words 'love hotel', before Atticus responded by asking, "Jaden, first tell me what you think dating is?"

"Well, isn't it where a guy and a girl go somewhere together to eat or something?" he asked.

Atticus gave a long sigh, while Mac and Alexis simply shook their heads in disbelief. Atticus then wrapped his arm around Jaden's shoulders and said, "Dude, you have a LOT to learn about love. In the next few days, the master of love himself, is going to teach you everything you need to know."

Jaden looked at him in a confused manner, before saying, "Okay?!"

"Ahem," Mac coughed, "how about we get some hot cocoa to beat the cold, before heading to the arcade. Jaden and Alexis, please wait here while Atty and I go get the drinks. No whipped cream on yours Alexis, right?" After getting a nod from Alexis, she turned around to Jaden and asked, "How about you, Jay?"

"Extra Cream on mine, please!" he exclaimed.

"Alright, will do. Come on Atty, let's get moving to that cafe across the park," she replied, as she dragged Atticus with her.

After putting some distance, Atticus smiled playfully and laughed. "Oh, you sly fox you! Setting the two up, I see!"

Mac sighed and said, "I won't deny it, but my methods are different and less obvious. Still, I hope Alexis takes advantage of the chance I've given her, but why do I feel like something's going to go wrong..."

* * *

**Part 2**

"So Alexis, you haven't told me about life at Duel college. Is it really different from life at Duel Academy? Oh, what kind of food do they have over there?" asked Jaden excitedly.

"You know Jay, life isn't always about food, but I'll tell you a little I guess. The campus is huge, slightly bigger then duel academy I'd say. There are no ranking systems over there like we had back at the academy, but those excel and perform better then others get better benefits. Thankfully, Atty, Mac and I are all members of the elite class, though you'd probably be right there with us if you joined up with us, Jay," explained Alexis. "Classes are longer at DA, but you can choose your timings, so if you want to sleep-in, then just do it."

"Man, sounds like fun," he began to imagine life there.

"I'm currently majoring in duel theory, you know, so I can teach students later on. Both Atty and Mac are taking duel philosophy, though Atty's just waiting until his pop-star career takes off, and he claims that studying is just a 'diversion'," she sighed.

"Ha-ha, sounds like Atticus alright," he responded, before saying, "Well you three must be some of the most popular figures on campus."

"What do you mean, Jay?" she asked.

"Well, Atticus is probably famous with the girls, and Mac is really beautiful, so I'm sure she's a hit with all the guys. I'm sure the 'Obelisk Queen' is a hit with the boys on campus as well, just like our time back at the academy" he explained.

"Well, you're right about Atty and Mac, but what makes you think that it's the same for me?" she asked with a slight irritation in her voice.

"Well, remember that back at the academy, you were a hit with all the guys, and a lot of guys wanted you to be their girlfriend, Chazz and Syrus included. I'm just assuming that it's the same situation at Duel College. I mean you're really good looking and a great duelist, so it shouldn't be a surprise," he explained.

"Yeah, but I don't like guys who are needy or focus on looks alone. Plus, there are guys like you, who aren't into romance or dating girls, and would rather duel all day. On second thought, you might be the only one I know that's like that" Alexis began feeling really irritated and frustrated the more she continued to talk. "Why Jaden, do you want me to be with someone else?" she asked in a slightly louder tone then usual.

"No, I just think that someone with your looks and personality, would have gone on a lot of dates or whatever, or that you might even have a boyfriend," he replied.

The word 'boyfriend' hit Alexis hard and began to sink in. That's when she did something uncharacteristic of her; she finally snapped. "That's right, Jay. Thanks to that stupid brother of mine, I've been forced to go on some dates, though none of that serious 'love hotel' crap, like the one you were on," she shouted.

"Um, lex, you're kind of..."he began in a meek voice.

"I'm what, Jay! Loud, angry, frustrated! Well, you're right, I am! You ditched me without saying anything on graduation day, and when you finally show up again, you start talking about boyfriends, and you start talking about it like it's natural or something. Well, it isn't! All the men I know are either a bunch of idiots, whose only goal apparently is to 'get some action', or clueless idiots like you. None of you ever care about how I feel, or my opinion on things! None of you think about what I want, or notice stuff that's right in front of your freakin face! And you know what, Jaden; you're one of those guys, so please stop asking about boyfriends like you're a natural on the topic, cause you're not. You can't even notice the feelings I have, which is why you'll never understand me!" she paused her breakdown to take a breath of air, when she noticed that the people nearby were staring at her and whispering to themselves. As for Jaden, he looked frightened and hurt. Alexis slowly regained herself, took a deep breath, and began to walk away from Jaden.

"Wait lex, I..." he began with a weak voice, but Alexis shot him down by saying, "I'm sorry Jaden. I need to be alone for a while.", and with that, she ran away from the scene.

* * *

"_I've done it again," _he thought, as he begun clenching his fist and punching the ground. "_I'm terrible. I did my best so that she could forgive me, and so we could make up, only to hurt her the very next day, but I don't get it. Why was she upset when I mentioned boyfriends?"_ he pondered.

Yubel then appeared next to him and sighed. "The fact that you still don't get it, means that you still don't get what's going on right in front of you. Well whatever, I won't spoil it for you," she said. "The thing you need to do right now is to go after her, and calm her down. You know, fix your mistake."

"You're right Yubel, I've gotta fix this," he declared, and then headed off to search for Alexis.

* * *

"_What am I doing?_" thought Alexis, as she sat on a nearby bench. She had run away from the scene, even though deep down, she knew it wasn't Jaden's fault. He hadn't meant to bring up the subject in that way, and she knew that she had overreacted, something uncharacteristic on her part. "_Still, why'd he have to go and say all that with a smile?" _she thought. "_Like I feared, maybe he really doesn't see me_ _in that way. Jaden, you idiot! Why don't you take a hint?"_

Then she sighed. "_Now I feel stupid for trying. Jaden's always been so dense, so it's not like he'd understand right away. I want to tell him, but..." _Doubt began creeping up inside of her, when suddenly she heard her name being called out. She looked up, and saw Jaden running towards her. "_Well, at least he came after me, but I'm not in the mood to see him right now."_

She began to walk away, when Jaden caught up to her and said, "Wait Alexis, please let me explain! I'm sorry I got you upset. I promise that I won't bring up the topic again."

"No Jaden, I'm sorry," she said coldly. "You didn't really mean anything by it, and yet I shouted at you and got mad. Still, I'm upset that you don't really get what's going on. Oh well, let's go back. Those two have probably gotten back by now." Alexis then reversed her direction and began walking back to the picnic sight, with Jaden in tow, wondering what she meant by 'what's really going on'. Deep inside, he could hear Yubel mutter the words 'DENSE OAF', but decided to ignore it for the time being.

* * *

**Part 3**

Several minutes after the little fiasco between the two, Atticus and Mac returned with the hot chocolate, to find a dark, gloomy atmosphere lingering around the site, and that most of it was coming from Alexis, who wore a cold, icy and emotionless expression on her face, and was facing away from Jaden, who wore a depressed and hurt expression on his face.

The two who had just arrived stood in complete disbelief at the sudden change of atmosphere, before Atticus whispered "Hey Mac, what happened? We just left them for a short while. How'd it end up like this?"

"You tell me," she replied. After studying the situation for a bit, she reached a conclusion. "From what I can tell, either Jaden said something insensitive indirectly, and Alexis hasn't forgiven him for it yet, or that Alexis finally confessed, got turned down, and from the looks of it, lashed out at him furiously, because she couldn't handle it. Of course, there are several other possibilities, but for her sake, I hope it's the first one," she explained.

Mac then approached the two of them, while saying, "Hey guys, look who's back with your hot chocolate!"

"Great..." "Cool..." were the lifeless responses she received.

"Um, did something happen, guys?" she hesitantly asked.

"No, nothing at all. Now why would you assume that?" Alexis asked with a cold smile.

"..." Jaden simply stared into emptiness.

Atticus then came up and said cheerfully, "Well guys, enough chit-chat, let's get going to the arcade, and continue our fun, fun, fun, fun day!" He put an emphasis on the word 'fun', but all he got as responses were, "Sure, why not..." "Sounds like fun..." from both Alexis and Jaden respectively.

Mac frowned, then groaned. "It's no fun if you're not smiling, now is it?! Okay, pep talk time! Alexis, come with me. Atty, you take Jaden and walk the other way. We meet at the car in 30! Capeesh!" she ordered. Jaden and Alexis didn't complain, and went with Atticus and Mac as ordered.

* * *

"Okay lex, what's going on?" Mac demanded an answer. "We were gone for nearly 30 minutes, so how did that playful atmosphere disappear?"

"I'm sorry, Mac. Jaden was asking about my love-life, even though I'm sure it was just an innocent curiosity, and I overreacted, shouted at him, and rejected his apology," Alexis explained.

Mac sighed. "I get the gist of it, but why didn't you accept his apology?" asked Mac.

Alexis paused to think, then replied, "Because... because I thought that he indirectly rejected me by asking if I had a boyfriend with a smile on his face."

"You know lex, you are in some ways more hopeless then Jaden. Remember, Jaden has an innocent personality, so he could never actually reject you with a question, it's illogical" Mac laughed as she explained her point. "Plus, did you ever stop to consider that Jaden wanted to know about it, you know, to know if you were single or not," she pointed out.

Alexis's expression changed into one of surprise. "Actually, no I didn't."

Mac then hugged her tightly. "Don't worry, if he has the guts to reject you, you and I will send him straight to hell! So for now, let bygones be bygones."

Alexis smiled. "You're right, Mac. But if I'm going to forgive him, I'm going to have some fun while I'm at it. After all, that's what arcades are for, right?" she said with a mischievous smile.

Mac giggled, and said, "Alright, let's head back."

* * *

"Come on, Jay. Cheer up, it's not like it's the end of the world or something," Atticus said, trying to cheer Jaden up. When Jaden didn't respond, he sighed. After a while of attempting to comfort him, Jaden slowly began to tell the story, and even though Jaden was clueless as to what had pissed off Alexis, Atticus immediately realized that the word 'boyfriend' must have been the cause. Atticus concluded that, while Jaden didn't mean it, Alexis took his question as a sort of indirect rejection, triggering her mood swing. "Listen Jay, Alexis is gonna forgive you. Don't sweat it!" he smiled.

"I'm sorry Atticus. Ever since the Yubel incident, I've done nothing but hurt Alexis. Even now, I was insensitive and said something I shouldn't have. If you wanna slap me or something, then please do. I deserve it," he said, bracing himself for whatever came next.

Instead, Atticus patted him on the shoulder. "Jaden, you are too kind. Listen, we all know that you weren't you in that world, and even Alexis forgave you for what happened. Even now, I'm sure she feels nothing but gratitude towards you. So Jaden, try to apologize one more time. I'm sure she'll forgive you. After all, she needs to for my plan to work."

"Thanks Atticus, but what plan are you talking about?" asked Jaden.

"Uh, nothing man. I, uh, think we should be getting back now," Atticus stammered, and began running back to the car, with Jaden in tow.

* * *

The two boys reached the meeting point, to find the girls waiting for them.

"Sorry we're late. We were just having some guy talk," Atticus said smoothly.

"What a coincidence! We were having a girls talk as well," said Mac while winking at him.

Jaden then looked at Alexis and smiled, while bowing apologetically, but Alexis simply looked away. Jaden sighed, thinking that it was going to be a long day, not noticing the smile Alexis had put on. "_I'm glad he still feels guilty. This is going to be fun," _she thought.

* * *

**Part 4**

The Dragon's Flame arcade was one of the biggest arcades in the world. It was established by Duke Devlin, the creator of Dungeon Dice monsters, and one of Yugi Muto's many friends and rivals. Being a gamer and hardcore competitor himself, he decided to build an enormous hall just for games. The idea was a hit, as hundreds of Domino City residents flock to it each day, and thanks to a deal with Industrial Illusions, every couple of months, the arcade hosted a special 'challenge day' with an exclusive, one-of-a-kind card up for grabs. Coincidentally, the arcade was having it's latest 'challenge day' on the day Jaden and co. decided to pay them a visit.

The trip to the arcade had been a rather uneventful one. Jaden and Atticus were talking about the latest arcade games, while Mac and Alexis were talking about duel strategies. The one minor dent had been the tense atmosphere between Jaden and Alexis. Whenever the two crossed eyes, Jaden would look away in guilt, which in turn made Alexis feel guilty herself. Luckily, Atticus told some jokes to ease the tension a little, which worked to perfection. Soon, the car stopped, and they were at the arcade.

The title 'DRAGON'S FLAME' shone brightly in neon, right under a neon version of Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Inside, the place was huge. The atmosphere was that of a Las Vegas casino, only more childish. Rows and rows of game machines and attractions filled the place. To their right, a small, hip restaurant lay in wait, and to their left was the counter, where players could register in contests, and where players who accumulated enough points could win all sorts of prizes including toys, cash, coupons, and of course, cards. In the middle of the hall was a classic duel arena, reminiscent of the Duelist Kingdom days.

"Alright guys, Mac and I are gonna go on a little date, so we'll leave you two to sort things out," declared Atticus.

"Wait, Atty..." began Alexis, but Atticus had already taken Mac's hand, and ran off.

"Listen lex, I, um..." began Jaden, before Alexis put a finger on his lips.

"I already know, Jay. I'm sorry too. I was rash, and I overreacted, even though you didn't really mean what you said. Guess we're both in the wrong, huh" she smiled. Jaden's mood improved after seeing her smile, but Alexis then frowned. "But that doesn't mean you're out of the woods just yet," she said.

"Well, how can I be off the hook?" he asked.

Alexis turned away from him and gave a mischievous smile. "Well, how about a contest, right here and now. Winner is whoever gets the most points between the two of us, in a series of games and competitions," she turned around giving him a daring smile, which he returned with a confident smile of his own.

"Alright lex, I'm game. Let's do this!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, and for the record, the winner can ask any favor they want from the loser, such as asking for one's forgiveness. So, with that, let's get started!" she declared.

"Yeah, bring it on, Alexis!" he replied, then ran off to the first attraction.

Deep down, Alexis thought "_I hate taking advantage of his innocent personality like this. I mean, the poor guy doesn't know that I've already forgiven him. Still, I want him to feel a little guilty, and at the same time, I guess this is my way of wanting to spend some time with him. Well, that and I want to kick his butt in these games." _Then she followed Jaden to the first game they would play.

The two of them played plenty of games that night, starting with racing games (which Jaden won easily), a dance showdown (which Alexis won easily, because... well let's be honest, Jaden had never danced in his life), and several of the common usual games, which included shooting hoops, the ball toss, fighter games, air hockey, and many, many more. Throughout the contest, the two of them enjoyed themselves thoroughly, and with both piling up wins at a fast rate, that by the time it was almost closing time (10 PM), the two of them had, without noticing, just accumulated enough points each to obtain the special prize card. Their contest had already attracted the attention of, not only the customers at the arcade, but also the staff. At one point, the manager had called the owner, Duke, to inform him of what was going on.

"So, those two have beaten a lot of my games, have they?" he asked.

"Yes sir, and they are currently a few points away from obtaining the prize, but it's about 10 minutes to closing time, and we're afraid that they won't finish the game on time. Not to mention the large crowd that's watching their exploits with expectant eyes. We're at a crossroads about what to do. If we close, the people might rebel or go home disappointed, but if we let them have at it or open the place for an extra hour, the staff might not like working extra hours without pay. So, we thought about asking you for advice, sir," explained the manager.

Duke thought about the situation for a few seconds, then he told the manager on the other end of the phone "Listen, keep the place open for a couple more hours, and tell the staff they'll receive double the hourly rate as overtime for the extra two hours. Also, I expect you to make that last competition a glamorous affair. After all, it's not every day we get a competition this intense on 'challenge day', now do we?"

"Yes sir, will do!" said the manager, then he hung up. Duke sat down and began reminiscing. "_Intense competition, huh. I wonder how long it's been since I've seen or heard about one of those. Probably not since Yugi, and the good old days..."_

Back at the arcade, not noticing all the commotion, Jaden and Alexis reached the final stage of their contest, the duel simulator. This simulator was a two-player game, where both players would square off using digital decks from the always popular battle city tournament.

"Alright Jaden, this is the last match. It's tied between us, so the winner of this duel wins the contest," said Alexis with a confident smile.

"Alright, let's duel!" declared Jaden. Then, the two took their respective positions on opposite sides of the console, where Jaden picked Yugi's deck, while Alexis picked Kaiba's deck. Then, the two began their duel.

* * *

Atticus and Mac were enjoying their little date. After playing with some of the games, and racking up some points, the two went into the photo booth, to take some memorable pictures of themselves, but Atticus began flirting with his girlfriend, and after a while, a simple photo session turned into a hot, steamy make-out session.

It started when Atticus's simple flirting turned into a kiss. After their lips parted, Mac asked while bewildered, "What the heck are you doing!?"

"I'm sorry, Mac. I really wanted to take a picture of us making out," he replied.

"In here!" she screamed. "Of all the stupid and bold ideas Atty, this is the..." she stopped, as Atticus held onto her tightly.

"Please Mac" he said in a soft voice, "Just this once. Nobody's here, so just 1 picture, please. I want to make some memories of us loving each other."

"Sometimes, you make absolutely no sense" she sighed, then calmed down, before blushing. "Alright, just a little, but no funny business, or I'll beat you to a pulp..." she began, before Atticus screamed in joy "YAAAY! Thanks honey!", and sealed her lips again. The two continued to kiss, occasionally stopping to breathe, until they heard a conversation outside the booth.

"Did ya here? There's a boy and girl having a heated duel contest." "Really!" "Yeah, it's true! Martin saw them, and they were tearing the place apart. That is so friggin awesome!"

The two stopped smooching, and looked at each other, before Mac spoke up. "Are they who I think they are?" she asked.

"Only one way to find out" he replied. The two of them fixed their messed up outfits, took their photos, and left the booth.

* * *

The two arrived at the scene, where they noticed Jaden and Alexis dueling on the console. Alexis had summoned Kaiba's ace monster, the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and had all her life points, while Jaden had 800 points left, and one face-down, but a full hand.

"Alright Jay, looks like I'm going to win this," she said confidently. Jaden on the other hand, was panicking.

Mac, who was observing, said, "Wow, lex actually pushed Jaden into a corner."

"Yeah, but remember that this is **the **Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon," Atticus pointed out.

"Alright blue-eyes, attack Jaden directly," shouted Alexis.

Jaden was still panicking, until he remembered something. "Oh, right! My face-down! I play the trap card Magic Cylinder. This takes the damage I would have taken, and sends it right back at ya! Sorry, Alexis," he declared.

"Wait, what?! NOOO!" she shouted, as she lost her life points.

The spectators were silent for a moment, before they erupted into a loud cheer. One of the staff members then made the announcement. "And the winner of the dueling simulator competition is Jaden Yuki!" she announced. That's when Jaden and Alexis finally noticed that pretty much everyone in the arcade, including Atticus and Mac, had been watching. Jaden smiled and bowed, saying "Thank you! Thank you!" to the crowd, while Alexis blushed, as she was embarrassed.

The manager walked up to them. "What a duel, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed it!" he announced, then he turned around to face the pair. "Thank you both for this entertaining duel. You gave everyone a great show. Also, let me be the first to congratulate you Jaden. You are the winner of this month's 'challenge day', and as such, you have won this exclusive, rare card, courtesy of Maximilian Pegasus!" he announced.

"I did what?" Jaden asked in a daze.

The manager began to explain, "Why, you've earned enough points to claim this one-of-a-kind card. Here, please accept it! You've earned it!", as he handed the card over to Jaden.

"Thanks a bunch!" smiled Jaden, as he took the card and held it in his hand.

"Everyone, once again let's hear it for Jaden!" With that, everyone clapped, and that signaled the end of the showdown.

* * *

"Wow Jay, what a card!" Atticus said in admiration, as he looked it with keen eyes. "What are you going to do with it?" he asked.

Jaden thought about it for a bit, before saying, "I know just the thing." He took the card, and waked over to a smiling Alexis, who was talking to a couple of the spectators.

She noticed him, and walked over. "Congrats, Jay. It looks like I've got a long way to go," she said.

"No way Alexis, you're way better then you give yourself credit for," he said in admiration, garnering a smile from her. Then, Jaden put on a serious face. "Alexis, you should probably take this card," he said, giving her the card.

"Huh, but that's your prize. Why would you..." she began, but Jaden stopped her there.

"Alexis, I'm sorry. I said some stuff I shouldn't have, and I hurt you. But I promise, that as long as we're still friends, I'll never hurt you like that again, and I want this card to be a symbol of my pledge," he said. Alexis looked dazed for a second, before slightly blushing. "So please, forgive me this once, lex."

"You idiot!" she shouted while covering her face in embarrassment. "I already forgave you a long time ago. Like I said, you didn't really do anything wrong, it was just me overreacting, so you don't have to feel guilty about a thing, okay. The contest was just a way so I could let off some steam, and so we could have fun, nothing more complicated then that, and yet you..." Jaden then put a finger on her lips to stop her.

"I know, lex. It was a fun competition all the same. Still, take the card as a symbol of our friendly relationship," he said.

Alexis looked at him for a while, then sighed. "Alright Jaden, I accept this gift. But no take backs," she said mischievously. "Now, lets get back to those two..."

"Hold it! I still haven't gotten my reward," said Jaden, grabbing onto Alexis's hand.

Alexis sighed, knowing that he'd probably ruin the mood. "Well, what do you want?" she asked.

"I know, lex. Buy me some dinner!" said Jaden cheerfully.

"Really Jaden? That's all you want?" she asked, stupefied, but recovered quickly and sighed. "Typical Jaden," she said with a smile. "Alright Jay, lead the way," she said, linking her arm with his.

"Um, Alexis..." he began blushing.

"What? Is there a problem?" she asked in a cold tone.

"No ma'am! Let's go!" he said.

* * *

Around this time, at the Yuki residence, Jaden's parents were watching a romantic movie together, when all of a sudden, the doorbell rang.

"Coming," said , as she went to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see a very beautiful, red-haired girl outside, dressed in a formal business outfit.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Is this the Yuki residence?" the girl asked.

"Why, yes it is," Mrs. Yuki replied.

"Then you must be Jaden's mother" she smiled, then said, "Hello, my name is Bridget Parker. I work with your son Jaden at Kaiba Corp. Is Jaden here? I need him to sign a few documents." The truth was that the documents could actually wait until the next meeting in a month's time, but Bridget, wanting an excuse to see Jaden, decided to pay him a visit, under the pretext of signing a few documents, as well as giving him a few things.

blushed at the sight of Bridget. "Oh my, my son must have some real luck, getting to work with someone as beautiful as you," she commented.

"Why, thank you ma'am," replied Bridget.

"As for your inquiry, Jaden's actually staying at a friend's place nearby, and won't be back until Christmas Eve," she said .

Bridget frowned a little. "It's alright, ma'am, I'll go see him there. Can you tell me the name of the person he's staying with?" she asked.

thought a little, before remembering. "Ah! I remember. The boy's name was Atticus Rhodes, and his address was..." she stopped because she noticed that the girl in front of her began shaking and gritting her teeth, before regaining her composure.

"Thank you ma'am, you've been most helpful. I think I'll head there tomorrow morning. Thanks for your time," said Bridget, as she hurried back to the limo, and drove off, before Jaden's mom could invite her in for tea. On the way back, Bridget began thinking. "_Atticus, huh. He's probably still a playboy, though I heard he's started dating Reggie, so it's not a problem. The real problem is... __**her,**__" _she scowled at the thought of her rival. "_Just you wait, Alexis Rhodes! Jaden will be mine, one way or another."_

* * *

**This one was probably an inconsistent chapter, though I wouldn't really know. So, a new card. What could it be? Man, Jaden's innocence can be fatal sometimes, but then like I said, I don't really blame him. It seems like the next chapter is gonna have a showdown between rivals, though not what you might expect. I really hope you enjoy this one.**

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the academy**

**Bridget pays the Rhode's household a visit, and things turn heated up between Alexis and our little visitor. Jaden learns a little more about the tournament, and then he wears... a tuxedo! All this and more in Chapter 9: Dense as a Brick**

**So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support!**

**With that, I end my turn.**


	9. Dense as a Brick

**A good day to all. This chapter is gonna be a premonition of things to come. Alexis is going to meet another rival, and things get heated up. Jaden takes Atticus's advice, and well... you'll see. Also, the first true enemy in a while appears, but is she an enemy? I do hope you enjoy this next one. I even added a little... (cough) fan-service, though not as heavy as you think. After all, this is Yugioh... or is it?**

**To make up for the time wasted when I uploaded the last chapter, I have uploaded this one as fast as I could. Sorry for the lack of consistency when it comes to uploading chapters; I've just been so busy. (sigh) A man's life never ends...**

**Thanks for reading. I can't believe I have over 2500 views in such a short while! Keep it up!**

**Last time on Beyond the Academy:**

**Jaden unknowingly pisses Alexis off, and it takes an entire arcade showdown to regain her trust. A new card is now in her possession, but what relevance will it have towards the story? Also, what is the connection between Bridget and the Rhode's siblings? All that is known, is that she's coming for Jaden...**

**So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!**

* * *

Chapter 9: Dense as a Brick

**Part 1**

After the eventful day, where the friends reconciled, the Rhode's siblings and their guests went back home. As soon as they got back, Atticus and Mac, who were both worn out, went to their respective rooms to rest, while Jaden and Alexis, who were both still full of energy, decided to head up to Alexis's room to chat, and watch some of the latest dueling news to use up some of that excess energy. After a couple of hours, the two finally got drowsy and eventually fell asleep. Professor Banner and Yubel both appeared as soon as Jaden fell asleep.

"Well Yubel, shall we tell him?" he asked.

"Tell him, and spoil the surprise? I think he should find out on his own when he wakes up, and when he does, his reaction will be priceless!" she laughed at the thought.

"Yubel, it seems you're still up to your old tricks. Well, not that I can complain" he said, shrugging his shoulders while smiling.

"Yes. Now let's sit back and enjoy the show! My one regret might be that Jaden may take a while to forgive me for this one, but it's worth it!" she said mischievously.

Suddenly, the two spirits felt a dark presence right outside the mansion. "Yubel!" he shouted.

"I know! There's someone outside. Someone emitting a lot of dark aura. That could be dangerous, so for Jaden's sake, we'd better take a look!" she declared. The two spirits wandered outside, to find a person clad in a black robe waiting, and though they couldn't tell much about the person from the outside, the person's silhouette identified that person's gender as a female. She was emitting a lot of dark aura, and it seemed like she was smiling as well.

"Yubel, she's dangerous! You must scare her off now!" he shouted.

"You don't have to tell me twice. Well, here I go!" she declared. Just as she was about to fire a warning shot, the person looked up in Yubel's direction, and gave a wide smile.

"Oh, hello there Yubel, guardian spirit of the supreme king" the girl said. She then proceeded to bow, something that completely caught Yubel off guard.

"You can see me?!" she asked in shock.

"Why yes, why wouldn't I be able to? It would be a disgrace to our organization, if I couldn't do at least that much" she said in a fearless tone. "Back to the important stuff, you're probably wondering why I'm here. Well, you can relax; I'm not here to start a fight, for the record. Just wanted to get that out of the way."

Yubel looked confused. "Then why would you come here?" she asked.

"Why does anyone do anything?" the girl responded in a provocative tone.

Veins began popping up on Yubel's forehead, while Banner was trying to calm her down by saying things like "Please calm down. Anger won't get us anywhere."

The girl gave a small laugh upon seeing the pissed Yubel, before saying "Just joking, lady Yubel. I'm here on behalf of my benefactor, who wishes for the true revival of the supreme king." Yubel and Banner were both shocked at the revelation. After getting the reaction she liked, she continued. "My goal is to test Jaden Yuki, and pull out his latent powers by challenging him to a duel. If he truly is the supreme king though, this should be no more then an amusing distraction" she laughed at the thought.

"But what if Jaden fails? What if he's not who you're looking for? What if you're wrong?" asked Yubel.

The girl began thinking for a moment. "I sincerely doubt he's not the supreme king; after all, the signs are too obvious. However, in the unlikely event that he isn't the supreme king, then either I wasn't good enough to draw out his powers, and I'll have to resort to more underhanded tactics like taking hostages, or if he truly isn't the supreme king, then I will be forced to end him, although I probably wouldn't bring myself to do it." Yubel's fury reached it's limits with that sentence, but the girl wasn't paying attention. "Though that will delay my benefactor's plan, and I'll be severely punished, not to mention that my own plans and dreams will be crushed, I have to do it for the sake of duty" she said.

The girl suddenly felt a dark aura surrounding the area. She looked up and saw Yubel gearing up to attack her. "YOU LITTLE WRETCH!" she screamed, "YOU DARE THREATEN MY JADEN LIKE THAT! I"LL BLOW YOU TO BITS, SO YOU"LL NEVER THINK ABOUT GETTING NEAR HIM AGAIN!", then fired a huge ball of energy at her.

KABOOM

The small garden across of the mansion, where the girl was standing, exploded, and was reduced to a pile of ash. Yubel looked around the rubble, and was satisfied when she didn't find the girl. "_She must have been blown to bits" _she thought.

"Wow, you're really strong as they say, lady Yubel_" _she heard a voice under her say. Yubel looked under her to see the girl standing there without a scratch. "If I didn't have these powers the old man gave me, not to mention that I'm a good athlete, I probably would have died.

Yubel looked at the girl, shock written all over her face. "How? W-W-Why?..." she stammered.

The girl simply laughed and said "Well, I think I've said enough for one night. Feel free to warn his highness about me, though it won't make a difference. Well, see ya!" The girl was then covered in black flames, and in the blink of an eye, she disappeared.

Yubel gritted her teeth. "Damn it all!" she cursed. "I'm sorry Jaden. I failed to protect you."

Banner approached her. "You know, it's not too late. We could always tell Jaden, and he can form a counter-strategy... I think. With that, you can at least have him ready for the encounter" he said.

Yubel calmed down after that. "You know professor, sometimes you amaze me beyond comparison. I'm surprised you don't come out very often" she said.

Banner gave a nervous laugh. "You know what I'm surprised about; how no one heard the explosion, and came to check on the situation..." he then realized that he had spoke too soon, as an overweight, bald man dressed in bath robes exited his house, to see what was going on. When he saw the garden, he suddenly froze up, before screaming "OH MY GOD! My garden! My beautiful garden!", while sobbing. "WHO DID IT! I know, I bet it was that bastard Kracowski from the other block. Well, two can play at that game. I'll show that son of a gun whose really boss!" he cursed, before getting into his car and driving off.

The two spirits stared blankly for a while, before Banner spoke up "We were never here, right?"

Yubel nodded. "Yup, we were just waiting for Jaden to wake up, while minding our own business. Now, I suggest we get back to that" she responded.

The two spirits then went back inside, and spent the rest of the night pondering the events that happened, or preparing for their little prank. With that, the curtain fell on another day.

On a side note, the man named Yamaguchi and Kracowski, were both arrested on charges of domestic violence. The two, who once hated each other's guts, became fast friends in prison, but that's a story for another time.

* * *

**Part 2**

"YAWWWNNN" Jaden yawned as he got up. "Morning, huh" he said. As he got out of bed, he noticed something different about the room he was in; the room wasn't his. "_This isn't my room_" he thought. He then noticed that one of his hands was touching something soft. After fully opening his eyes, he noticed that he was lying down right next to Alexis, his right hand wrapped around her waist, and his left hand grabbing onto her breast. Alexis was still asleep, however, she was blushing a little and making a few light moans. Jaden's face suddenly turned deep red, as he stared in horror at his current situation, then released his hands in a hurry, and frantically tried to get back to his room. As he was stepping out the door, he heard the blankets rustle, followed by a voice.

"Huh, what happened? Morning already? Wow, time sure does fly" said Alexis. Slowly, she looked around her room, and saw Jaden panicking near the door.

Jaden cringed as she stared at him hard, and he began to lower his head. "I'm sorry, lex! We were both tired last night, and we fell asleep, but I was too tired and couldn't get back to my room, and apparently fell asleep right next to you on the bed. I'm really, really sorry! I didn't mean to! Please forgive me!" he said, while bowing his head.

Alexis looked stunned for a second, before sighing. "It's fine Jaden. You don't have to make it sound bigger then it is. Plus, you didn't really do anything, right?" she asked.

"Yes. We were both asleep, so I... really... didn't... do... anything" he replied, as his face got redder and redder with each word.

Alexis suddenly looked confused, before asking in a loud tone, "Jaden, what did you do?"

Jaden hesitated for a bit, then he began to stammer. "W-Well, I m-might have slightly touched your chest while we were asleep. I'm sorry, it was an accident! I promise that it will never happen again!" he pleaded to Alexis, while consecutively bowing.

Alexis looked slightly angry for a moment, before sighing again. "It's alright, Jay. True, I'm a little angry, but it wasn't deliberate. Plus, we really stayed up late last night, so I'm partially to blame, and when you think about it, it's not really that big of a deal" she said calmly.

"But why?" he asked. "I heard that girls hate perverts who touch their chests?"

"_Again with that innocent personality. Damn it Jaden, how gullible you can be! Are you really a full-fledged adult? I'm starting to doubt it..." _she thought. "Well yes, but you're no perv, Jay. In fact, you probably don't even care about women or love. It's been like that since the academy days, and to be honest, better you then someone else" she explained.

"Wait, what does that mean?" he asked.

Alexis finally giggled, then went up to him. "That's a secret!" she whispered into his ear, then walked towards her bathroom. "Alright Jaden, I'm gonna take a shower. If the others are downstairs, tell them I'll be right down" she said. As she entered, she added, "Jaden, I'm not mad, honest, so please don't think too much about it like you usually do when it comes to this stuff, okay."

After she closed the door behind her, Jaden left the room. "Hah, I survived somehow" he said, blowing a sigh of relief. Suddenly, he heard deep laughter from right above him. He looked up and found Yubel and Banner, laughing their heads off. Jaden started to put the pieces together, then he got a little enraged. "So it was you two! Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Not cool! I'll get you for this!" he shouted, as he started chasing the two spirits.

* * *

Alexis sighed. That was the third time she had sighed this morning. She was currently stark naked in the shower, trying to cool her head off. The water flowed down her hair and body, as she began pondering the events that had just happened.

"_I do remember chatting with Jaden on my bed. I guess we both fell asleep at the same time, and Jaden was too tired to move back to his own room. Then, I guess what happens in our sleep is out of our hands, so I know he didn't mean it" _she thought. "_Well, it's not a big deal, so then what's this feeling of disappointment? Could it be that I'm angry, not because of what he did, but because I wanted him to do more?" _she blushed at the thought, but then shook her head. "_No, no, I'm just overthinking things. Let's just get this over with, and head downstairs."_

* * *

After Jaden failed to catch the spirits that were partially responsible for the indecent situation he was in, he surrendered, and went down to the table for breakfast. When he reached the table, he found that Atticus and Mac were already there. Atticus had already begun eating, while Mac was reading the morning paper. As he stepped in, she said "Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Huh, oh morning guys" he replied.

"Yup, and what a morning it is! It's actually snowing today, so I guess we can have a little outdoors fun!" said Atticus excitedly.

"Yeah, sounds great" replied Jaden in an uninterested tone.

Atticus and Mac stared at him for a second, before they started whispering to each-other. "Hey Mac, what happened to him? I'm sure we had a blast at the arcade, so why is he bummed out?" he asked quietly.

"Beats me, Atty. My guess is this though; I think something happened to those two when we took our eyes off of them" she replied with a sigh. "Well either that, or he's just really tired."

"Well that's not good. What are we gonna do?" he asked.

At that moment, Alexis stepped into the kitchen after her bath. "Good morning, guys" she said, a little irritated.

Mac sighed. "_Bulls-eye. Looks like I was right" _she thought.

Breakfast continued on as normal, though there was a bit of tension between Alexis and Jaden. Atticus and Mac thought that this was just a repeat of the park incident yesterday. "_I guess I'll use this vacation to teach Jaden about the one thing he doesn't know anything about; the opposite gender_" he thought with a sigh.

Just as he was thinking about his next move, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" he said energetically, then he got up and went to open the door. Once he opened it, he began, "Yes, who is it..." before freezing up on the spot, at the sight of a very beautiful, red-haired girl, standing at the doorway.

* * *

**Part 3**

Bridget Parker was standing outside the Rhode's residence, contemplating whether or not to ring the doorbell. It was currently 9 AM in Domino City, however Bridget had actually arrived 30 minutes earlier. She had begun to have doubts about heading inside, mostly because of her complete dislike of the 'playboy' Atticus Rhodes, and pure jealousy towards her 'rival' Alexis Rhodes, for 'stealing her Jaden'. In the end, she straightened herself up, swallowed her pride, and rang the doorbell. After a minute or so, the door opened and she heard a voice saying "Yes, who is it...". The voice had frozen, and Bridget came face-to-face with the 'playboy' Atticus Rhodes.

"_Atty, huh_" she thought. "_His hair grew longer, and he got a lot taller, plus there's no more snot in his nose. Other then that, nothing's changed_."

Atticus stood there for a moment, before he gave his trademark smile. "Hey babe, haven't seen you around before. I know, you must be a local girl, who's heard the rumors of my awesomeness and manly physique, and you wanted to confess. Sorry, I'm already seeing someone, but I must say, while she's a total hottie, you come a close second. Ah, how fate was cruel to ALLOW MY ARM TO TWIST THAT WAY, AND BRING ME EXCRUCIATING PAIN!" Atticus was flirting with Bridget, until Mac, who came to see what was taking so long, saw the act being done in front of her, and began to twist and break his arm.

"Well, well. Cheating with another girl this early. Why, it's not even lunch time yet" she said with a very cold smile, while twisting his arm.

"OWWW! I'M SORRY MAC. I DIDN"T REALLY MEAN IT, HONEST. I WAS ONLY JOKING! PLEASE LET GO, MY ARM SHOULDN"T TWIST THAT WAY!" he cried out in pain.

"Hmph!" Mac let go, and while Atticus ran over to the staircase to nurse his injured arm, she went to the door to tell the girl off. "Listen you hussie, I don't really know who you are, nor care, but you'd better leave now, before..." she began, before her expression changed after taking a good look at the girl in question. "Bridge, is that you?" she asked.

Bridget sighed, and gave a small smile. "It's been a long time, Mac. How have you been?" she asked.

Mac suddenly smiled, and began jumping for joy, then ran over to give Bridget a hug. "Bridget, it's been forever! How have you been doing? You haven't called in years! What were you doing all this time? Was it really more important to you then your friends?" she bombarded the girl with questions.

"Easy Mac, you're squishing me! I can't breathe!" said Bridget, gasping for air.

"Mac, what's going on outside? What's with all the commotion?" Alexis then stepped out, and recognized the girl Mac was hugging. "Hey Bridge, is that you? It's been forever!" she exclaimed.

"Alexis" Bridget said after Mac let her go. "Yeah, it's been a while" she frowned.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in! Let's talk inside!" said a cheerful Alexis.

* * *

"Wow, so you're working for Kaiba Corp.! That's pretty neat. It's no wonder we haven't heard from you in ages. Still, I thought you had bigger plans then that" said Alexis.

"Well, I never had any plans to begin with. I didn't really find anything interesting or rewarding, well up until a year ago that was. Turns out that Kaiba actually has a lot of interesting projects going on, so in a way, it was actually pretty rewarding to join Kaiba Corp., not that it's saying much" said Bridget.

The three childhood friends were conversing in the living room, drinking tea and conversing about their own lives. Atticus was sitting on the staircase, sulking and nursing his own 'injury', while Jaden was trying to cheer him up. Little did Jaden know, that Atticus was acting that way to get Mac's sympathy and attention, not knowing that Mac was already used to that trick.

"How about you, lex? I heard you managed to cruise through courses, and by skipping a few, you're actually going to graduate right before summer, a year before everyone else. Pretty impressive" commented Bridget in admiration.

"Yup, and to think that focusing only on your studies, and ignoring all those date and party invitations, while horrible on your social life, could actually help you in life, and become a member of society in a flash" admired Mac.

"Yeah, there's that, but I also heard that you two are among the top female duelists on campus, and that you were even selected for the rare honor of receiving two of Pegasus's next gen decks" said Bridget.

"Well yeah we did, but 'next-gen' doesn't mean the best or most suitable for me" replied Mac.

After a sip of tea, Alexis asked, "Alright Bridget, so why did you come to visit us today, specifically? I doubt you came today to catch up."

Bridget took another sip, took a deep breath, then looked at Alexis. "Very perceptive. I actually came this official meeting review report and instructions, salary, etc. that are in this briefcase, to one of my colleagues on behalf of " she said, showing the briefcase.

Alexis frowned, while Mac asked, "Wait, you don't mean?"

Bridget smiled. "It seems that Mac knows who I'm here for. I actually went to his house, but his parents told me that he was staying at a friend's place, and that Atticus was the name of that friend. Yes, I'm here to see Jaden Yuki" she explained.

A moment of silence followed, before Mac said "Well, better go call him", and left the room.

Alexis then spoke up. "So you and Jaden work in the same sector of the company?" she asked.

Bridget stared at Alexis, while thinking "_Maybe, if this is what I think it is..."_

"That's right" she replied, "We both work in the same section. Jaden does the field work, and I supply him with assignment data and specifications. He **relies** on me quite a bit, though I can't tell you exactly what we do. It's **our** little secret."

A couple of the words sunk into Alexis's chest, and she begun clenching her fist, before calming herself down. "Is that so? Well, it is Kaiba Corp., so I suppose secrets are warranted in a company as big and as prestigious as it is" she said calmly, before looking at Bridget with a menacing smile. "Well, in your case, I bet Jaden was more of a pain then a gain. I mean, he's a great duelist, but when it comes to data and specifications, details, etc., he probably wouldn't understand it at all. I would know, because we've **known** each-other for a long while, and we **share** a close **bond**. I even tutored him for a while. Privately. In his room" she said provocatively.

The last four words struck Bridget like a rain of arrows. "Is that so?" she responded weakly. Both of them began to emit hidden sparks, while staring fiercely at each other. Just then, Mac stepped back inside, with Jaden in tow.

"Hey Brid... sorry, . Fancy meeting you here" he smiled.

"Hello Jaden. Yes, it was quite unexpected, but you do need these documents. Boss's orders" she replied, then walked over to him and handed over the briefcase. She then got close, and began whispering in his ear. "Listen Jaden, inside of this briefcase are all the documents regarding the meeting we had a couple of days ago, a couple of which I need you to sign, and bring back to Kaiba Corp., by the time of our next meeting. It also contains some funds, as well as a few references if you need to contact someone during your training period, and several other items you will probably need."

Jaden nodded, then said "Thanks Bridg... I mean, ..." he stopped as his lips were sealed by her finger.

"Please Jaden, we're not at work. You can call me Bridge" she said in a cute, seductive voice.

CRUMBLE

They all turned to look at the source of the sound. Alexis wore a dark expression, and one of the tea biscuits had been crushed in her hand.

"It seems I should take my leave. Remember Jaden, the contents of that briefcase must remain a secret, or else!" she said with a cute wink.

"HOLD IT!" Alexis slightly shouted, "Let me escort you out. It's the least I could do, as a host" she finished, trying to mask her irritation behind a smile.

Bridget slightly smirked at the sight. "Sure Alexis, after you" she said. Mac just stood where she was, confused about what had just happened, while Jaden, too dense to read the atmosphere, decided to head up to his room to explore the contents of the briefcase.

Outside, Alexis finally snapped. "Alright Bridget, what's your game?" she asked.

"I'm afraid that I don't know what you're talking about?" replied Bridget.

"I'm talking about Jaden, and the fact that you were openly flirting with him in my house. You were never into boys, yet here you are playing the 'cute and cuddly' act with Jaden of all people. You just show up at my house after all this time, just to flirt. Don't you think that's strange?" asked Alexis.

"Well, well, this coming from the girl who couldn't confess her own feelings when she had a clear opportunity to do so" replied Bridget, and while ignoring Alexis's shocked expression, she continued. "Yes, I know all about that night. Listen Alexis, I don't really have a grudge against you, regardless of all the times you upstaged me in the past, and all the arguments we had. I truly fell in love with Jaden, and I intend to confess to him real soon, though I currently can't due to certain private circumstances, and when I do, I'll make sure to never let him go, but don't worry, I'll send you an invitation to the wedding" she said in a provocative tone, then sighed. "Truth is, when I heard that he was at your place, I thought that you had actually won the battle, and that I've lost my chance, but now, seeing that you are indecisive and cowardly, I can leave without regrets. Enjoy playing 'girlfriend' while you can." As soon as she finished, she got into her private limo while looking at Alexis with a provocative smile, and drove away.

Alexis stood there in the spot, stunned. She wanted to scream, to cry, to shout, but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. She knew it deep in her heart; she had been utterly defeated today.

* * *

**Part 4**

In his room, Jaden opened up and examined the contents of the briefcase. Inside, there was a full report of the events that transpired during the meeting, including the big announcement. He also found a pamphlet regarding the details of the big duel tournament that would occur in several months time.

"_This must be the pamphlet Kaiba's gonna start handing out next week_" he thought. He also found a few profiles of several victims that had been formerly possessed by darkness, and some of the common decks and key cards used by them. Next, he opened a personally signed note from Kaiba, reminding them that his work was top secret, meaning that if the secret's out, so are you. He also mentioned that should he encounter darkness during their training, his job was to eliminate it ASAP, to prevent himself from being exposed. Finally, Kaiba asked all Dragoons to train hard and win, or else.

Attached to the letter, was his shiny, laminated new Kaiba Corp. ID, and as explained by Kaiba, his ticket around the city. The ID in his hands was an executive's ID, and showing this anywhere around Domino City, meant preferential treatment at any restaurant, store, etc., though Jaden didn't really care about that. He also received a brand new card from Bridget, who based on the small greeting's card, said it was an early Christmas present. Finally, he received a platinum credit card, which based on the letter, contained his enter salary, which... well let's just say that it was an overwhelming amount, being a dragoon and all.

Again, Jaden didn't really care about all that. What excited him the most was the pamphlet. _"Man, I can't believe that the rules are so simple, but what's this about qualifiers? Well, it looks like he was spot on about the prizes. Just thinking about designing my own card gets me all fired up!"_ he thought excitedly. Suddenly, Pharaoh came into the room, and pounced onto his bed. "Hey, where on earth were you? Wait a minute, (sniff)(sniff), do I smell tuna on your breath? Damn it, Pharaoh, you know that carrying you is gonna be a pain in the..."

Yubel appeared right before Jaden finished his sentence. "Jaden, stop worrying about that, and start worrying more about the events that happened over an hour ago" she said.

"Meowww" yawned pharaoh, and Prof. Banner floated out of the cat's stomach, and appeared. "I think this is what they would call a love triangle, right" he teased.

"Love triangle?" asked Jaden.

"Enough Banner, or I'll crush your throat!" threatened Yubel, before turning back to Jaden. "Listen Jaden, I feel that you have to pay close attention to that Bridget girl. She's obviously up to something. Her type always is."

"Relax, guys. Bridget was just teasing me. I'm sure that being outside of work, she thought that it would be cool to act all cutesy, and I bet she's having a good laugh as we speak" smiled Jaden.

"Whatever you say, Jaden. That topic aside, I think that something happened between that Bridget girl and Alexis" she stated.

"Oh! You noticed too, Yubel! Yes, it's quite suspicious, though they apparently seem to be fighting over the same guy... HIII!" Banner stopped after seeing Yubel preparing a beam of energy. "I'm sorry!" he bowed and disappeared back into Pharaoh's stomach.

"Anyways Jaden, Alexis seems really down right now, possibly due to that Bridget girl. Before I came to you, I saw the two of them bickering at the doorway, and based on the fact that Alexis was rooted to the spot in shock, and the other girl was smirking at her, so I assumed that the Bridget girl said something unsettling to Alexis" she stated.

"I don't think it's Bridget fault, but if she's feeling down, I guess it's my job to cheer her up!" he said excitedly. "But I don't know how to do it."

"Well Jaden, I think it's time to put that hefty salary that you got from your job to good use. Here's an idea; why not take her out somewhere nice?" suggested Yubel.

"Great idea, Yubel! I'll ask Atticus about a few places I could invite her to" he said excitedly.

"Wait Jaden, Atticus might not be the best person to..." she then put on a mischievous smile. "Actually Jaden, I think that's a great idea. You should ask Atticus all about the nicest places in town to take Alexis to. Now get moving; your lady awaits." she said, as she disappeared.

"Alright then, to Atticus I go!" he declared, then left the room.

* * *

Atticus was in his room, dressing up into his winter gear, to head on outside and have some snowy fun. As he was leaving his room, he heard a knock on his door. When he opened it, he saw Jaden, who was slightly blushing, outside. "Hey Atticus, can I ask a favor?" he asked.

Atticus looked confused. "Sure thing Jay, but why'd you come to me? I'm sure Mac or Alexis could have helped you out better then I ever could" he pointed out.

"Yeah, but I need some (cough)... girl advice" he stammered.

Atticus stood there for a moment, letting those words slowly sink in, before ecstasy overwhelmed him. "YIPEE! Jaden's finally realized it. I'm going to have a little brother!" he shouted, while dancing around the middle of the room.

Jaden gave a confused smile, unsure of what to do next. "Listen Atticus, it's not that big a deal. I just need you to tell me about some of the really good restaurants in the area. I want to invite Alexis over there, so I can cheer her up" he explained.

Atticus stopped, and said "Oh, so that's it. Bummer, but still it's progress, if even if only a little." He then turned to face Jaden. "Well Jay, the best place isn't very far from here. I'd say it'll take about a 15 minute drive. The place is called 'Heaven's Door', and it's probably the best 5-star restaurant in all of Domino, that only the elite of the elite can enter. Luckily for you, the Rhode's family happens to fall into that category, so let your uncle Atty pull a few strings for ya" he smiled while explaining, then put his hands on Jaden's shoulders. "Listen Jay, just go to the counter and say 'Rhodes'. You'll instantly get a good table and service, though you'll have to dress up in a suit. They've got a strict dress code after all. Ah, I know! I've got the perfect 'date night' suit. I'll loan it to you..." Atticus began talking like a machine gun, which caused Jaden to lose him halfway through his instructions.

"Um, Atticus, not to butt in, but what exactly is going on? I don't really get it..." he began, before Atticus started pushing him into the closet.

"Don't worry, Jay. When I'm done with you, you'll look even better then me, and that's actually saying something" he smiled mischievously. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

Jaden began to panic at that last sentence. "Wait, don't I get a say in this!"

* * *

Mac was sitting in the living room with Alexis, trying to calm her down. Alexis had come back after seeing Bridget off, all depressed, not wanting to see anyone or hear anything. After helping her calm down, she got the details of what happened between the two childhood friends, how Bridget had basically declared Alexis as her love rival, how she would take Jaden from her, and how she had called her a coward.

"I can't believe that Bridget would say that!" complained Mac, "And to think that she had the guts to flirt with Jaden right in front of you. I'm gonna go give her a piece of my mind!"

"It's alright, Mac" said Alexis. "She really hasn't won yet, and anyways she's got a point. In some ways, I am a coward" she sighed and looked out the window.

Just as Mac was about to retort further, Atticus stepped into the room. "Ladies, I know that you're busy, but I have something to show you" he announced.

"Atty, this really isn't the time..." she began, but Atticus looked at her, with a 'Don't worry, I've got this' look.

He then went over to Alexis. "My lady, I know you're down in the dumps, so I prepared a little remedy for you. Introducing, for one night only, the handsome hunk, Jaden Yuki!" he announced loudly.

Alexis looked up, dazzled at the sight of Jaden as he entered the room. He had worn a fancy black tuxedo, with matching pants and a dark red tie. Mac was staring in admiration, and Atticus was urging Jaden to say something.

"_Damn, this is so embarrassing! But, if it'll cheer her up..._" he thought, as he stood in front of Alexis. "M..My lady, w-w-would you do me the h-honor of going to dinner w-with me?" he asked nervously, while stammering and blushing. Alexis stood there silent for a moment, before she began to laugh. "I knew it! I screwed up" he cried out, then went to leave, but Alexis grabbed his arm.

"Sorry, Jay. I'm not laughing at you, well not fully anyways. I'm laughing because I'm really happy that you invited me. Let me prove it" she said. Then she cleared her throat, and said "I'd be honored to accept your invitation to dinner. Please take care of me", while smiling.

Jaden then gave off his trademark smile. "Yeah, leave it to me!" he said. All the while, Mac was looking on while blushing, with stars in her eyes, and Atticus was nodding while saying, "All's well that ends well."

* * *

"Are the preparations ready, Fira" came a voice from a mobile phone.

"You bet, old man! I got lady Yubel to take the bait, though she almost killed me in the process. Occupational hazard, I guess" the girl named Fira sighed.

"Enough complaining! You remember the plan, don't you?" the voice asked.

"Yeah, yeah" she yawned. "Capture that Alexis chick, make lord Jaden come after me, and duel him. That's it, right?"

"As long as you remember. I'm counting on you, Fira. Do not fail me!" the voice ordered, then the call ended.

"That shitty, useless old fart! I wish he'd just die" she said. She then looked at the photo of Jaden. "As for you my king, I can't wait to meet you in person. When I do, I will make sure to make you fall for me with my dueling skills. As for that chick, well... lets just say that after tonight, she'll never even think about getting close to you ever again!" she said while laughing hysterically. With that, the ominous night began.

* * *

**So, Bridget is officially a rival. Well, I bet you saw that coming, but Jaden wearing a tux. Hell, even I couldn't believe it, and I'm the author! I slipped in a little fan-service in, just to spice things up, not that it actually made a difference...**

**The big question is: Who is Fira, and what is her actual aim? And why didn't Yubel warn Jaden about the impending threat. Either way, I've spiced things up for probably my first true, action-packed chapter, full of heroes and new cards. Wanna now what they are? Well, you'll have to read the next chapter to find out. All I can say, is that Jaden should probably bring along a LOT of ice...**

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the academy**

**Jaden takes Alexis to a fancy joint and embarrasses himself, but that wasn't the worst of it. Now, he has to duel one of the top duelists of duel academy, a duelist even the pros fear, with Alexis's life on the line, and win. But what's her connection to the supreme king, and could she be a potential love rival! All this and more in Chapter 10: A Fiery Encounter**

**So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support!**

**With that, I end my turn.**


	10. A Fiery Encounter

**A good day to all. So, this is the finale of the first arc, and man, what a finale it's going to be. This is going to be one of the most action-packed chapters I have ever written, and this one's gonna be red hot! I implore you to stick around to the end, because this one's gonna be pretty long.**

**Still can't believe I lasted this long. It's been fun writing this story, and I hope to continue this story heading down the stretch. Thanks for following up until now, and I hope you continue to help me shine. Keep those ideas coming; I could use some inspiration.**

**On a small side note, I am going to be updating each of the previous chapters for typos and writing mistakes, so if you see a new chapter, other then this one, then know that I just re-uploaded an edited version of each previous chapter. Don't say I didn't warn you...**

**On another note, there are a couple of swears, but I've censored them using stars (*), so if you feel like I should remove or change them, then I will. Or if you want me to go commando, then I'll do it next time.**

**Last time on Beyond the Academy:**

**Bridget pays the Rhode's household a visit, and declares Alexis as her rival. Meanwhile, a brand new foe shows up, one that could even stand up to Yubel, and she's not messing around. Her objective is Jaden, but why...**

**So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!**

* * *

Chapter 10: A Fiery Encounter

**Part 1**

Jaden was standing near the door, dressed in the black tuxedo that Atticus had loaned him earlier. He had smoothed his hair a little, and was donning a special 'date-night' cologne, also courtesy of Atticus. He was a little nervous, and his heart was beating fast; he had never actually gone to a fancy restaurant with a girl before, let alone a five-star restaurant. All of the cafes that he'd been to before were just quick invitations, and never anything serious, so he wasn't sure what to do. Atticus had given him several tips and pointers, but he was still unsure of a lot of things.

He then heard a pair of footsteps walking down the stairs. He turned around, and his eyes couldn't move another inch after that. Coming down the stairs was Alexis, dressed in a very elegant, sleeveless, light blue one-piece dress. She had tied her hair, held on by a beautiful pink, flower-shaped ornament. She was wearing a small, silver necklace, and had put on some makeup. As she walked down the stairs in her leather high-heels, she noticed Jaden staring at her in wonder.

"Please don't stare so much, Jay," she said, slightly blushing.

"S-Sorry!" he stammered as he turned his head. "It's just that you look really good in that!"

Alexis giggled. "Wow, to think that Jaden of all people, would get flustered because of a girl. That's rich," she teased.

"Come on, lex! Don't tease me that much," he said, acting hurt.

"Sorry Jay," she laughed, then walked down to him, and linked her arm with his. "Well, shall we?" she asked. A blushing Jaden nodded, and the two walked towards a waiting limo.

All the while, Mac and Atticus were watching intently. "OMG! That's so cute! Did you see that Atty? The way they looked at each other, and their reactions? So romantic!" Mac screamed in excitement.

"Sure is, honey. All of is part of my perfect date plan, which I taught to Jaden of course. I just hope he remembers it," he said. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. "Hey Mac, wanna check out that restaurant ourselves?" he asked with an evil smile.

Mac took one look at him, and began to back off slowly. "Oh, no! No, no, no! There's no way I'll go along with that idiotic scheme of yours. I'm not going to interfere with their dinner date. There's no way that's going to happen..."

* * *

Heaven's Door was one of the fanciest restaurants in all of Domino City. Established around the time Jaden and crew had entered their third year, it was built in the high-class area of Domino City, and in just over a year, had established itself as a true five star restaurant, known for it's top-class service, and it's mouth-watering food. The only problem was that unless you were a member of the top or elite class of the city, you would need to make a reservation, and even then, it would takes months to find a table. The restaurant itself overlooked the sea, so one could get a beautiful view of the ocean, as well as the city lights at night, seeing as the restaurant was right across of downtown Domino.

Jaden stood at the door of this majestic eatery, with Alexis right next to him, their arms still linked.

"Well, shall we, Jay?" she asked.

"Yeah, lets go," he said. "_Although, I never expected that in my wildest dreams that I'd ever get to come to a place like this. I hope I don't screw this up,_" he thought nervously.

As the two stepped inside, Yubel looked on from behind, with a troubled expression. "_I'm sorry, Jaden. I want to tell you about that girl, and the threat she could potentially pose, but your happiness comes first,_" she thought, then shook her head. "_But anyways, your stronger then her. I know that you'll be able to handle it, even if I didn't tell you... I hope._"

Inside, Jaden marveled at the sight of the place. The inside was brightly decorated, with pure white walls containing pure gold ornaments and designs covered the place, which based on the brochure, was supposed to give a 'heavenly feel' to the place. The restaurant was already packed when Jaden and Alexis arrived, and most of the people at the tables were emitting a 'high-class' aura from them. Jaden and Alexis both walked up to the counter, where a tall, blonde-haired and elegantly dressed waiter was on standby.

"May I take your order, madame et monsieur?" he asked in a fluent french accent.

"Y-Yes, we have a r-r-reservation," stammered a nervous Jaden.

The waiter bent down and produced a black book titled 'reservations' from inside the counter. "Name please, monsieur?" he asked.

Jaden was so nervous that he nearly blew his head off. He had never been at a restaurant counter this fancy before, but he had to remain calm, especially with Alexis right next to him, though that was easier said then done, especially after falling victim to the intimidation and aura the other customers were giving off.

After several nervous seconds, Alexis who saw Jaden in a nervous wreck, sighed. "It's under Rhodes," she told the waiter.

The waiter stared at Jaden for a few seconds, with a cold expression, that clearly stated, "_Letting your date do all the work. How disgraceful. Do you have no shame?_", though Jaden wasn't paying attention to him, while Yubel was desperately trying to hold herself back from blasting the waiter into a thousand pieces. He then began searching through the book, until he found the name. "Ah, Tres Bien! Yes, you do have one. Let me take you to your seat."

The waiter led the two of them to their seat, which was situated near the window, and had a perfect view of the sea, and the city across. All the while, the people who noticed them began to gossip. "Isn't that young over there?" "Yes, she is truly her mother's daughter, beautiful and dignified in every way, but who is that man that is accompanying her?" "He certainly looks the part, but he doesn't feel like a high class gentleman.", were some of the comments Jaden managed to hear.

As they sat in their seats, the waiter said, "Someone will come to take your order in a bit. Please, enjoy your evening," and left.

Jaden sighed. "Sorry, lex. Guess I'm really not used to these types of places," he said.

Alexis giggled. "I'll say. Who knew that the brave and adventures Jaden, couldn't even handle talking to a single waiter of a high-class joint. Now that is hilarious!" she said while softly laughing.

Jaden started blushing in embarrassment. "Hey, not fair lex! Teasing me like that, even though I tried so hard," he complained.

"Oh, come on Jay, lighten up! Let's just forget about what happened , and move on. Besides, we came to have a nice little chat, didn't we?" she asked, as her laughter died down.

"Yeah, you're right Alexis" he smiled. The two began to chat about their academy days, greatest duels and favorite duelists. The waiter passed by in between their conversation, and Alexis ordered a plate of grilled trout, with a plate of Caesar salad on the side, while Jaden ordered some fried chicken 'a-la-mode', and some of the restaurant's famous, 'elite-class' fries. The two were having a blast, not noticing that they were being watched by a pair of hopeful eyes.

* * *

**Part 2**

About ten minutes after Jaden and Alexis took their seats, Mac and Atticus, both dressed in disguise, stepped into the restaurant. After 'bribing' the waiter at the counter to 'stay silent', the two of them sat at a table, across of where Jaden and Alexis were seated.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this. Darn it, why do I always go against my instincts when you make such unreasonable requests?" Mac sighed.

"Chill, Mac. Come on, even you're curious about how this date is gonna turn out," said and exited Atticus, as he took out a pair of binoculars from a small hand-bag under the table.

"Atty, you know that it's not a date, just two really good friends having a hearty conversation over dinner, with no romantic feelings involved whatsoever, at least not on Jaden's part. Still, while we're here, guess we'd better make the most of this chance," she said.

Thirty minutes in, however, the mood changed from excitement to pure boredom, as the food came in. "Great, thirty minutes in, and they're still talking. Come on Jay, stick to the script," he muttered.

"Out of curiosity, Atty, what is the script exactly?" she asked hesitantly.

Atticus's eyes shone brightly as he looked at her. "Glad you asked, Mac! The script was that Jaden sway her with some deep romantic talk, then lock her in a passionate kiss in front of the crowd. Things get heated up, they head back to the limo, they can't hold back their natural urges and desires, then they..." he began, but stopped abruptly after his lips were covered up by a flustered Mac.

"W-What are you trying to m-make them do?" she stammered. "They haven't even gotten to the dating part yet!"

"Yeah, I think Jaden said the same thing. Maybe I am rushing things a little, but time is of the essence," he said, before going back to watching the two.

Back to Jaden's table, the two friends were currently enjoying their meal, and Alexis was telling some more tales from her time at duel college.

"Like I was saying back at the park, duel college is just as big as duel academy, but there are no 'ranks' like we had back there. No Slifer, no Ra, no Obelisk. Just students dressed in whatever. I took many courses in duel theories, philosophy, strategies, etc. Not to brag, but I did get to skip courses, though it did kinda cost me my social life. Most of the girls would talk about guys, fashion, and well, more guys. Outside of dueling though, I was more focused on studying. Well, I had Atty and Mac with me, so it was all good," Alexis recalled all of her experiences, while Jaden listened attentively, not understanding half of what she was saying.

"Must have been rough, lex," he said.

"Yeah, it kinda was, but I managed. Plus, thanks to my dueling skills, I was pretty liked on campus, so it wasn't all bad. Thanks for listening, Jay, but enough about me; how about you tell me a little about yourself, like your childhood maybe?" she asked.

"Sure, why not! Now, where to start?" he pondered.

As he began to recall his childhood, a black mist suddenly began filling the restaurant. The people inside began to notice the mist, and began to panic, before suddenly falling down unconscious. Jaden looked at the site of the once vibrant restaurant in a stunned silence.

"What's going on here? What the hell is all this?" he asked.

Yubel appeared. "It's mostly likely her," she stated in a slightly angry tone.

"Her?" he asked.

Yubel then looked at Jaden with an apologetic face. "I'm sorry Jaden. Last night, a girl clad in black appeared, claiming she had come on behalf of her master to test the supreme king. I dismissed as a potential ruse until now, plus I didn't want to ruin this night for you. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, I just didn't want you to worry," she explained in a remorseful tone.

"Well, thanks Yubel! Now you tell me!" he exclaimed. "I've gotta at least get Alexis outta here. Hey lex, lets..." he stopped after he noticed that Alexis was also unconscious.

Just as he was considering his next move, the mist gathered into the center of the room, then burst into black flames. From the center of the flames, emerged a short figure clad in a black robe, and as soon as the figure stepped out, the flames died down. The figure then began to move through the restaurant.

"Wow!" a female voice exclaimed, "That slow-acting toxin the old fart gave me actually works! They're all stiff and limp like a pile of corpses. Well, all except for one." The figure then turned and began moving towards Jaden.

"_Yubel, is this the girl you were talking about_?" he asked telepathically.

"_Yes,_" she replied, as Jaden took up a cautious stance.

When the figure was a couple of meters away, she removed her hood, revealing a girl with a very cute face, with shoulder-length, fiery-red hair, and deep-blue eyes. She proceeded to stand on one knee and bow. "My humblest greetings, my lord and king. My name is Fira Ignizione, and I am one of the six elemental knights, servants dedicated wholeheartedly to the purpose of serving you, my lord. Based on your initial reaction, it seems lady Yubel chose not to tell you that I was coming." She then looked up, and a wide smile of admiration crossed her face. "Ah! It's true, you really are the supreme king. After all, no one can posses such unique, heterochromic eyes, like you have! "

Jaden had activated his powers on instinct, knowing all too well that a girl with that much dark aura has got to be bad news. Surprisingly, she smiled brightly, then ran up and hugged Jaden strongly. "WHAA...!" he shouted, startled by her actions.

Fira looked up at him while blushing. "Actually, my lord, I've always wanted to see you. You see, I fell in love with you at first sight, when I saw your pictures and heard your tales at duel academy. I was also thrilled to know that you're also the supreme king. My boss has high hopes for you, and he's really hoping that you can come and lead us towards achieving our noble goals," she declared.

"And what might those be?" he asked, confused.

She laughed at the question. "My lord, you are very tense. Relax, my boss will tell you everything, after you agree to join us, to lead us," she said, before hugging him more intensely, and lowering her voice, before finishing in a flirtatious tone, "to lead me."

Jaden was trying desperately to think of a proper response, all the while Yubel was biting her lip, desperately holding herself back from blasting the girl to hell, only to remember that Jaden was in the line of fire.

"_Alright, the people are under the effects of some sort of poison, but she said it's slow-acting, whatever that means, though I think that I might have some time to save them. I need to convince her to remove the poison mist as fast as I can, but how am I gonna do it? I'm no smooth-talker with the ladies like Atticus is. For now, I guess I'll..._" he thought, then looked at Fira. "Listen, I appreciate the offer, really, but I made a promise to use my powers for good, and last I checked, poisoning a bunch of people wasn't good." He then placed his hands on her shoulders. "So do the right thing, and remove the poison mist, then go tell your boss that I'm not interested, and..." Jaden stopped after noticing that she was tearing up.

"Why! Why, why, WHY! Why won't you accept us! ACCEPT ME! After all the stuff I did. All the training, all the hardships in my life, all the time I waited patiently for you!" she sobbed, looking at Jaden with a confused expression, tears falling down her face at an increasing rate. "What's wrong with me? Am I not pretty enough? I'm actually treated by the boys like a goddess at the academy! Then why... !" Her face suddenly froze and her tears stopped flowing.

Jaden stared for a second. "Um, are you okay?" he asked.

Suddenly, her body started shaking uncontrollably, and her face turned from an expression of pure confusion, to one of pure rage. "I see, I get it now. So, that was it, huh," she said quietly.

"Wait, what was it?" he asked, as he took a couple of steps back.

The dark aura around Fira got stronger and more intense. "It's because of HER!" she screamed, as she pointed at at an unconscious Alexis. "That rich girl must be tempting you with her money and charm, and trying to sway you into becoming her loyal pet, and you my lord, being as innocent and naive as you are, have fallen for those charms!"

"No wait, I think you've got this wrong. Alexis would never do something like that, because she's not that type of person. Plus, I already knew Alexis long before I ever found out that I was the supreme king, and if anything, she's actually more scared of me then she is attracted to me, at least that's how I see it. That's why it's impossible that she's trying to take advantage of my status, or make me into her pet, or whatever," he tried to defend himself, but that instead added fuel to the fire.

"So, it's been happening for that long, huh!" she fumed.

Jaden sighed. "_Man, she really is misunderstanding, huh,_" he thought. At the same time, Yubel sighed as well, thinking, "_It's happened with another girl, huh._"

Fira stopped fuming, and started laughing, at first slowly then hysterically, her cute face becoming distorted and twisted, as her laugh grew in intensity. "I see, it looks my job is going to be much more enjoyable then I thought," she said as she stopped laughing. "My apologies, my lord. I got sidetracked for a second, but back on topic. You see, to answer the question lingering in your head, before our little fiasco, I can't remove the toxin willingly, and even if I could, I wouldn't do it for nothing in return."

Jaden frowned. "Alright, how do I get rid of it?" he asked. Fira responded by pulling out an envelope from her robe. The envelope looked normal, except for the seal, which was covered in a dark aura, similar to Fira's.

"Like I said, I don't know how to get rid of it, but my boss does. The instructions are inside this letter, which was sealed in a way that only the supreme king may open it. It's the same for this mist; it's designed to affect everyone, except 'special' people like myself and of course, you, my king," she explained while flashing the envelope.

"So, what do I have to do to get it?" he asked.

"Well, that's easy. Simply do one of three things. The first is that you take it from me by force. Attack me, and if you really want to, kill me. That way, you can simply take the envelope without a problem, and of course, I don't mind dying at the hands of the supreme king," she said, while putting the envelope back into her robe. Jaden stood horrified at what he had just heard, as she continued. "The second thing is that you pledge your allegiance to us knights, and as such, you agree to led us. If you do that, I'll willingly hand over the envelope, and then we can head back to our base."

"Wait, what! That's outrageous!" he shouted. "I won't do the second thing, because I'm convinced that you're not the good guys, and the first is impossible. You can't just kill someone, especially someone as pretty as you! You shouldn't even be talking about killing..." he stopped after seeing Fira blush madly.

"Really?! You think that I'm pretty! Oh, I don't know what to say!" she exclaimed while blushing, before returning to her original expression. "Regardless of your compliment, my lord, those are two of your options," she stated.

"Oh, yeah! And what's the third? " he asked.

Fira gave off an evil smile. "Oh, I though you'd never ask. The third method is that you and I duel. Your life versus mine, and the lives of all the people here. Honestly, that was the whole point of this little fiasco; to duel and test you to see if you were truly the supreme king, or not. Now I don't think you have a choice in the matter, depending on how you see it, but in case you're thinking of backing down..." she stopped, went over to Alexis, and pulled her up by her hair, then finished by shouting, "I'll be taking this rich b**** hostage!"

"Wait, let her go!" he shouted, getting into a fighting stance, but Fira simply laughed.

"That's right my lord, hate me, resent me, and if push comes to shove, end me. You clearly aren't going to join us based on your tone, so you've got two options; kill me and take it, or duel me, win and take it, though I had really hoped that you'd join us," she sighed, then grabbed Alexis as the flames began to gather. "Well, my lord, it looks like we're going to have a duel. Meet me in half an hour at the Domino City Bridge, the time it'll take for you to get there on foot, or you could use your time to prepare, then have Lady Yubel teleport you there. Either way is fine by me." She then looked at Alexis. "This woman will come with me, however. Whether these people live or die is of no concern to me, but this girl, who tricked you, will pay the price dearly. Before she dies, I'm going to teach her some manners first!" She then turned back to Jaden. "See ya in thirty, my lord," she winked, as the black flames covered her and Alexis.

"Wait!" he screamed as the two began to disappear. Jaden tried to grab Alexis, but his hand seemed to slip through thin air, as they disappeared. "Damn it!" he said in a frustrated tone, before screaming, "DAMN IT ALL!" The clock struck midnight, as the sea echoed the screams of a desperate man.

* * *

**Part 3**

After the incident, Jaden called the cops, and an ambulance, to come check on the customers in the restaurant, saying that they all got food poisoning and collapsed. He also secretly bowed and apologized to Atticus and Mac, for what happened to them and Alexis (he had actually known they were there the whole time, but hadn't said anything). After that, he sped off towards the bridge for the encounter, with Yubel in tow. Yubel had suggested they don't teleport, as their enemy might have placed a barrier to prevent early access or otherwise, so Jaden decided to take off on foot.

"_I've gotta make it!_" he thought. "Hang on, lex! I'm coming!" he shouted as loud as he could.

* * *

The Domino City bridge linked Domino City to the rest of the country. It was about the size of California's Golden Gate bridge, only with a slightly more simplistic structure, and a dark green paint job.

Fira had just appeared at the top of one of the pillars. "Man, this sucks," she sighed. "Waiting for his lordship is really boring. Why'd I have to say half an hour? What was I thinking? I wanna see lord Jaden now!" It was about ten minutes since Fira had left the restaurant. Bored, she started looking through her deck. "Man, this deck that I got from the old fart is awesome, though kind of a far cry from my original deck, but it's still the best thing the old fart has ever done in his life. Still, my lord's deck is one of the best around. I hope this deck will be enough to push him to his limits." She began to blush at the thought. "Oh my lord, the thought of you and I having a duel is so romantic."

A small moan brought her out of her fantasies. The moan came from Alexis, who was slowly regaining consciousness.

"(Cough)(Cough). What happened to me? Where am I?" she asked in a weak voice. She then noticed that she felt really dizzy and really weak. "What's wrong with me? I was in the restaurant in Jaden, last I remember, then I just blacked out."

"Oh, awake now, are we princess?" asked Fira. Alexis took a glance at the girl. She had fiery red hair and red eyes and was dressed in black.

"Who are you?" she asked. "I've never seen you before."

"Oh, you're not afraid of me. You seem to be handling your predicament quite well, all things considered. Honestly, I was expecting you to scream or cry or something. Man, what a letdown," sighed Fira, as she kneeled down. "Let me answer your questions as a reward. Firstly, you are currently on top of the Domino City bridge, courtesy of yours truly. Secondly, I poisoned you and the rest of those losers at the restaurant, and although the toxin spreads very slowly, the longer that it's left untreated, the more pain the victim begins to experience. Finally, I kidnapped you, and I plan to use you a hostage, to force lord Jaden into dueling me, and unleashing his latent powers. I also wanna convince him to join our little group."

Alexis took a moment to slowly process what she had just heard. Basically, she understood it like this; this girl had poisoned her and everyone else, somehow kidnapped her while she was unconscious, took her to the top of the Domino City bridge, and that same girl was planning to use her as a hostage to lure Jaden into dueling her. "You know, I think you're really wasting your time here" she said weakly. "If you really wanted to just challenge Jaden to a duel, you didn't really have to poison everyone or use cheap, dirty tactics like taking hostages to get him to duel you... AAAHHH!"

Alexis suddenly felt a sharp jolt of pain coming from her right hand, and when she turned her head to look at the source, she found Fira stepping on it. "Oh, didn't I say? This poison also makes your pain receptors and nerves more sensitive. Me slightly stepping on your hand, for example, can seem to you, or at least your body, as if someone was hitting it with a sledgehammer," she explained, then removed her foot from Alexis's hand. "Rich bastards like you should just shut the hell up! Believe me, I actually agree with your little smart-ass statement, and honestly, I couldn't care less about those people, but you see Ms. Know-it-all, the reason I took you hostage is quite simple," she paused to take a deep breath, before screaming, "IT"S BECAUSE I FREAKIN HATE YOUR GUTS!"

Alexis looked stunned. "Why the hell would you hate me? I don't even know you, nor have I done anything to being hated! Why would you... AAAHHH!" she began asking, before slammed her foot into Alexis's right hand, harder then the last time.

"Do you even have to ask!" shouted Fira. "You, using your money and feminine charm, tricked my lord into blindly following your every command, and turning him into your little pet. I can't believe that you even have the guts to ask about what you did. Girl, you really are a dumb b****!" as she kicked Alexis in the chest.

"AAHH!" Alexis screamed out in pain. Just like Fira had said, her nerves were all shocked and confused at the intensity of the pain, to the point where she actually felt like crying, but using all of her remaining willpower, she held out as much as she could.

"Oh, does that hurt? Well, it should. You're nothing really special, and I fail to see what lord Jaden would see in a little, rich crybaby like you," Fira said, mocking her.

Alexis finally put all the pieces together, after hearing Fira's last couple of sentences, and realized this girl wanted something to do with Jaden's supposedly existent alter-ego, the supreme king. At that point, she began to laugh.

"Hm, what's so funny?" asked Fira.

"It's funny, because I should be hating you for what you did, but I find myself pitying you instead," Alexis replied.

"What?!" Fira shouted in surprise.

"You say that all of this is for Jaden's sake, but all I see is an angry child taking her anger out on someone else. I mean, come on, you're using underhanded tactics to get one of the world's most hardcore duel maniacs, who would probably accept an upfront and direct challenge anyways, to duel you. Honestly, that's just sad, and at the same time, it's hilarious!" Alexis laughed, in spite of the toxin spreading through her body, before adding, "Jaden would never join forces with someone like you."

Fira got enraged, and veins started appearing on her forehead, and the more she heard Alexis laugh, the angrier she got. "You, pity me! Take that back! TAKE THAT BACK NOW!" she screamed, then proceeded to kick Alexis again, and although she felt the pain of each one, the laughter held back the tears. "You little bastard! Alright, let's see how you like this!" she shouted, then began to form a huge ball of black flames in her hand. "I can't kill you, because my lord would lose his motivation to fight seriously or join us, but I can still burn your face. Oh, don't worry, you won't die, though the pain of having your skin being burnt will be so unbearable, you'll wish you were dead. As a bonus, lord Jaden will never want anything to do with an ugly girl like you ever again! HAHAHA!" she said, while laughing hysterically, then proceeded to bring the flames closer to Alexis's face.

Alexis tried to stop her, but her body was too weak to react properly. She closed her eyes, and said in her heart, "_Please Jaden, help me._"

At that moment, Jaden appeared and grabbed Fira's hand before it reached Alexis's face. Fira was stunned for a second, then she diminished the flames in her hand, and stood up. "As expected of you, my lord. You got here as fast as you could. Judging by all the leaves, and your somewhat torn outfit, you must have ran all the way here. I'm truly honored that you came all the way for little old me. I..." she stopped, as she noticed that Jaden was not paying attention to her, and was trying to help Alexis up to her feet.

"Sorry I'm late, lex. Can you stand?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Jay, though you might have to help me up a little," she replied.

Fira watched the two of them, as anger, jealousy and confusion began to well up inside of her. "NO, NO, NO! That's so wrong! She's tricking you! Why are you still helping her?" she asked in a rage.

"Why?" he asked. ""It's because she's a very dear friend of mine! Do I need another reason?"

Fira wanted to retort, but instead calmed herself. "I guess, my lord, that the only way to open your eyes is to beat you in a duel," she said, then took off her robe, revealing a very elegant young woman, with a very daring outfit, consisting of a sleeveless top, and a matching, short miniskirt, both in overlapping red and black colors. Her physique was very similar to Alexis's, something that stunned the latter greatly. On her left arm, was a dark-purple duel disk, which Jaden had instantly recognized. The duel disk was similar to the one he used when he was the supreme king back in the dark world, only a different color.

"_She wasn't lying when she said that her group was associated with the supreme king,_" he thought.

"Now, to make sure that you or the b**** can't retreat or run away," she declared, then released a large amount of black flames from her hand. The flames formed a circle around the three, leaving no way out.

"We're trapped!" shouted Alexis.

"Well then, whatever will you do?" asked Fira.

"Do I have a choice?" he replied, then remembered something. "Alexis..." he stuttered.

"What is it, Jay?" she asked.

Jaden turned and looked at her with an apologetic smile. "I might have forgotten my duel disk at your place."

Alexis sighed. "Of all the times to forget it. Don't you always have it with you? Of all the stupid things you've done..." she stopped as the black flames behind her intensified.

"You! How dare you insult my king! My lord was just... forgetful! It happens to everyone!" shouted Fira. She then walked over to her robe, and produced another duel disk, then threw it over to Jaden. "Here, my lord. As you can see, I am always ready to serve you. In more ways then one," she said, while blushing.

"Alright, thanks Fira. Alright, you remember the stakes, right?" he asked.

"Yes, of course! If you win, I'll give you the cure, and if I win, you join us, and all of the infected people die," she said, then muttered quietly "including the rich b****", while staring at Alexis.

Jaden out his deck into the disk. "Alright Fira, get your game on!" he declared.

"Gladly, my lord!" she replied. "_AHHH! It's my lord favorite catchphrase! It's so coooool!_" she thought excitedly.

(Jaden LP: 4000; Fira LP: 4000)

The duel to free Alexis and the others was about to start.

* * *

**Part 4**

The two duelists took their positions opposite each-other, with the flames raging behind them. Jaden stood in front of Alexis to protect her.

"You can start, my lord," said Fira.

"Hey, it's alright if you call me Jaden. 'My lord' is a bit, well, weird I guess," said Jaden.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly..." she said, while blushing.

"It's alright, you don't really need to be formal, even if we aren't on the same side," he replied.

"Well, if you insis,t" she began, then took a deep breath, and said, "Well J-Jaden, let's have a fun duel!"

Alexis frowned at Jaden. "_Oh my god, Jaden, you are so..._" she thought, before sighing.

"Alright, let's go!" he declared. After looking at his hand, he declared, "Well, I'll set a monster face-down, then add two face-downs, and leave the floor to you!"

"Alright, my l... I mean J-Jaden, I draw!" she declared.

"_I played defensive, cause I don't know what kind of deck she uses. I hope my hunch was right,_" he thought.

Fira gave a small smile after looking at her hand. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can special summon wyvern of the mines from my hand," she declared. A dark-brown monster, that looked like a cross between a dragon and a giant bird appeared on the field (FIRE, level 4, Winged Beast, Atk: 1600)."Next I summon Missile wyvern from in attack mode." A smaller beast, with a more reddish-brown color appeared, with missile launchers attached to it's wings (FIRE, level 3, Winged Beast, Atk: 1300).

Alexis looked at the monsters in doubt. "_Wyvern? Where have I heard about that archetype? If I'm not mistaken, it's..._" she thought, as Fira entered the battle phase.

"Okay, I activate missile wyvern's effect! During my battle phase, by discarding 1 card from my hand, I can double this card's attack points until the end of my battle phase!" she declared. (Atk: 1300-2600)

"This looks bad," he muttered, slightly jumpy at the scene.

"Ah, I remember!" Alexis shouted out weakly. "Jaden, that girl is using one of Pegasus's next generation decks, like the ones Mac and I have. I recognized the name 'Wyvern' from an article about the top youth duelists of this time. One of those duelists received a deck from Pegasus with the same name." Alexis then looked at Fira, and asked, "Hey you, you're that duelist from duel academy, one of the coming duelists, Black Princess Fira, the duelist who crushes duelists as quickly and as mercilessly as possible, right?"

Fira looked at Alexis and laughed. "So what if it is? It doesn't change the fact that we're dueling, and it certainly doesn't change the stakes," she pointed out.

Alexis then told Jaden, "Be careful, Jay. She's an expert, who's even the pros a hard time. I heard that she's rarely ever lost a duel."

"Actually, since coming to duel academy last year, I have never lost a duel," Fira clarified.

"Wow, that's pretty awesome! If there were no stakes or lives on the line, I would've totally wanted to chill out with you!" he admitted excitedly.

"Oh, my lord, I'm not worthy of such praise, especially coming from a top-class duelist like yourself," she said while fidgeting, before regaining her composure. "Now then, missile wyvern, attack Jaden's face-down!" she declared. Missiles launched from the monster's wings and hit the face-down card, Elemental HERO Clayman (DEF 2000), and destroyed it.

"Now, I play my face-down card, Hero Signal!" he declared. A big 'H' sign appeared in the sky. "This allows me to summon a level 4 or lower HERO monster from my deck, in place of the one you destroyed. Now I summon Elemental HERO Sparkman!" Instantly, sparkman appeared on the field (Atk: 1600).

"Smart choice, my lord. Now, my other monster can't attack, except if I play this," she said, revealing the spell in her hand. "I play the quick-play spell card, Blue Magma Cannons! By tributing a FIRE monster with 2000 or more attack, in this case my missile wyvern, I can destroy one monster on the field, and I choose Sparkman!" The small wyvern disappeared, and in it's place, twin cannons popped up onto the field, which fired a shot of blue magma, hitting sparkman, and causing him to 'melt'. "Now, wyvern of the mines, attack lord Jaden directly, but be gentle, okay!" she declared, as the other wyvern swooped down and attacked Jaden.

"AARRGHH!" he winced as the attack went through.

(Jaden LP: 4000 - 2400)

"Don't worry, my lord... I mean Jaden. This was supposed to be a shadow duel, but I couldn't bare to see you get hurt, so I decided to make things a little less painful," she smiled, then twitched her smile while saying, "Can't say the same for Ms. moneybags over there, though."

Jaden widened his eyes , and turned to Alexis, to see smoke coming from her body, while she was coughing heavily. "Alexis!" he shouted, and moved to support her.

"You shouldn't really worry that much. Like I said, the damage is minimal, but the toxin makes her pain receptors and nerves more sensitive. In simpler terms, she's fine on the outside, but inside, she's feeling a lot of pain, and the shock or receiving that much pain at once might just cause her to break. That little rich girl is going to get what's coming to her!" Fira screamed, while laughing hysterically.

"Alexis, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Jay," Alexis replied between coughs. "Don't worry about me. Focus... on your... duel (cough!)."

"She's right, Jaden. You should pay more attention to me," said Fira. "I play a face-down, and end my turn. Your turn, my liege."

Jaden glanced at Alexis. "_Alexis isn't doing so well. Gotta try and make this quick,_" he thought. "Alright, my turn, I draw!" he declared. He looked at the card he drew, and gave a small smile. "I activate a spell card, Miracle Fusion! By banishing the two HERO monsters in my grave from play, I can call on a little friend of mine from the extra deck. I banish my sparkman and clayman, to fusion summon Elemental HERO Thunder Giant!" he declared (Atk: 2400), "and now, by discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy one monster on the field. So go thunder giant, destroy her wyvern!" Thunder came out of the giant's hand, shocking the wyvern and destroying it.

"That was so... COOL!" exclaimed Fira, her eyes sparkling.

"Alright giant, attack her directly!" he declared, as thunder shot out of the giant's hand, and shot towards Fira, but she barely budged, and instead opened her arms wide to receive the attack.

(Fira 4000 - 1600)

"Ah, an attack from lord Jaden. The shock felt so... refreshing," she blushed.

Jaden laughed bitterly, while asking, "Um, are you okay?", while both Alexis and Yubel thought, "_Is this girl a masochist_?"

"I'm fine, Jaden. Please continue," she replied.

"Well alright," he said while shrugging his shoulders. "I play a face-down, and end my turn."

"Alright, my turn, I..." she began, before Jaden stopped her.

"Wait! Before we continue, I need to know something," he said.

"What is it?" she asked.

After taking a deep breath, he asked, "Why are you and your group doing something like this? Especially you; I don't see you as a bad person. You look more like a person who's hurt and crying on the inside, while venting her frustrations and sorrow onto others on the outside. So, why are you going to such extremes just to recruit me? I think that I have the right to know."

Fira looked down for a second, before sighing. "As expected of you, my lord, you understand the human soul far better than any mortal could. Before I answer your main question, allow me to give you a little summary of my life, which will explain everything, including how and why I fell in love with you, and why I hate the little princess over there," she stated.

Alexis looked confused. "Jay, what are you..." she started, before Jaden looked back at her, with a 'Don't worry, I've got this' look.

Fira took a small breath, then began to tell her tale.

* * *

"I was born in a small village, just outside of Rome, to two catholic parents."

"Wait, you're Italian!" Jaden exclaimed. "I didn't really know."

"Well, I though my last name would give it away, but I don't blame you. After all, my accent looks pretty fluent," she paused, then said, "Or woulda you rather I talka like this," in an Italian accent.

"Yeah, your accent does sound Italian," he said.

"Thank you. I actually took a lot of lessons to improve my accent, courtesy of my stupid, old boss, in order for me to get used to life at duel academy. Back to my story, our family owned a small bakery. We only ever earned enough money to get us by, but we were happy. Just my mama, papa, and little me. I thought those days would last forever, but I was wrong," she said, clenching her fists.

"When I was five, my mama caught a fatal disease, and because we didn't have enough money to treat her, she eventually passed away. Even though I was sad and heartbroken, I was still hopeful that my papa and I could still have a wonderful and happy life, but I was mistaken. My papa began drinking heavily, while getting into frequent fits of rage, that eventually drove all our customers away, and within a matter of months, completely ruined us. To make matters worse, whenever he got really angry, he would usually take out his anger on the nearest person, namely me, but it wasn't that bad, although sometimes it would get extreme, and in one case, it got to the point where I don't want to remember it," she said with a dark expression, before turning around and lifting her hair, revealing a thick scar, that ran across most of her neck. Alexis gasped, while Jaden frowned.

"Then, one day when I was seven, my papa passed away, courtesy of a mafia turf war, that nearly destroyed our entire village. After the war, the winning side decided to pillage what they could from the remains, and eventually found me hiding in the ruins of my house. I didn't really get what was going on, but apparently they wanted to take me, and force me to be a servant, or potentially a mafia bride. I wanted to run, but my legs couldn't move, because I was in shock and afraid, and then, a miracle happened."

Fira looked up at Jaden, and remembered something. "Oh, right! I haven't told you about my history with duel monsters. My old deck was one of the few mementos from those joyful days. My mama got it to me for my fifth birthday. It wasn't strong, or full of expensive cards, but it was the best present I could have ever wished for. I still have that deck as a reminder of those days. Anyways, they were going to grab me, when all of sudden, a mysterious light shone out of my deck, and blinded the men, with a small voice telling me to run, and that's what I did. I ran away from the village as fast as I could, until my legs couldn't run anymore. As I was lying down to rest, 'she' appeared in front of me."

"Wait, you don't mean...?" he asked.

"That's right, my guardian spirit appeared. It was then that I learned about duel spirits, and that I had the ability to see them," she explained, then looked towards Yubel's direction, then said, "just like I can see lady Yubel, and Kuriboh over there."

Jaden widened his eyes in surprise. "Wow, you can see them to! I thought Chazz and I were the only ones who could. That's awesome!"

Fira gave a small smile. "Thank you for your compliment. So, after I fled from the village, I began to wonder the streets of the capital, begging for whatever money or scraps that I could get, doing my best to survive. A normal kid my age wouldn't have made it, but thanks to the protection and guidance of my spirit, I managed. I also learned the truth about the rich; they'd take advantage of the poor like us, by giving us food or money, then ensnaring us in their trap, and kidnapping us to make us their servants, or worse. I've seen it happen to many of the orphaned children on the streets of Rome. They lull them with sweet words, before tricking them into coming with them, and then, well let's just say that they're never heard from again. That's why I hate the rich like her, and that's also why I'm convinced that she's tricking you, my lord," she declared, pointing her finger at Alexis.

Alexis simply gave a gloomy expression, pitying the girl that held a grudge against her, as Fira continued. "About a month later, an old man approached me, and asked me to join his organization, and that he could get me what I desired. I thought it was a trick, so I refused at first, but then he complimented my duel spirit, and said that I had amazing powers, and that I was destined for great things, that I could meet other people just like me. At that point, I didn't care if it was a lie, I went with him, and so far I have never regretted it. I made some friends like me, I learned how to duel like the pros, and the best part was that I had a family again."

Fira paused, then looked at Jaden for a response. Jaden took a brief moment to let everything sink in. "I understand your situation, Fira, and I'm sorry that you've had to go through all that, but that story makes me even more convinced that you're a really kind person at heart, and that you'd never actually want to kill someone. But, let's be honest; you haven't really answered my question," he said.

Fira shrugged her shoulders, then bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry, my lord, but I don't have all the details myself. All I know is that we aim for the Supreme king's true revival, and when he sets out to conquer the Earth, we knights will take our rightful place at his side," she declared. "If you want to know all the details, you'll have to ask the old fart, a.k.a.: my boss, about them. All I know, my lord, is that I'd be honored to serve you, and hopefully, love you. Like I said, I fell in love with you, when I first saw your duel against professor Crowler, on tape. Since then, I've followed all your duels and adventures, and as I got to know you better from the people who knew you at the academy, how kind you were, and how you always smiled even when things seemed dark, I thought that you could relate to me, and slowly, I began to fall more and more in love, to the point where I won't be able to stand it if I can't have you for myself. After all, who wouldn't want to be the lover of the strongest, most courageous, and one of the most handsome men around, not to mention a noble by birth. Oh, lord Jaden, if you only know how much I love you!" she declared, while blushing.

Jaden gave a bitter laugh, not sure what to do, while both Alexis and Yubel thought "_Wow, this girl is obsessed. I'd bet she'd stock him if she could_", while sighing.

"Well, if there are no further questions, I draw!" she declared. She smiled as she looked at her hand. "I activate the spell Polymerization, and fuse my Torpedo wyvern and Cutthroat wyvern, that are both in my hand, to summon my ultimate ace, Bladerush Wyvern!" A giant, dragon-like monster appeared, with torpedo launchers on it's wings, and a huge blade coming out of it's forehead, announcing it's arrival with a huge screech (FIRE, Level 7, Winged-Beast, Atk: 2600).

"Wow, that's a big bird," he commented.

"Now, I play the equip spell, Turbo Cannons, which increases's the attack of a FIRE monster by 1000 points, but has it's effects negated, and must be the only monster on my side of the field (Atk: 2600 - 3600). Now my monster, attack thunder giant!" she declared, as the wyvern rammed it's giant blade into the giant.

"AARRGGHH!" Jaden shouted, as he tried to shield Alexis from the attack, taking the full force of it.

"Jaden!" shouted a concerned Alexis, but couldn't bring out her voice due to the poison.

(Jaden LP: 2400 - 1200)

"Now, my turbo cannon's other effect kicks in, and deals you an additional 1000 points of damage, since my monster destroyed yours!" The cannons on the back of the wyvern fired on Jaden, who was knocked back due to the force of the attack.

(Jaden LP: 1200 - 200)

"With that, I end my turn," she declared.

Jaden struggled to get up, and his suit was torn to shreds. "_Man, Atticus is gonna kill me later,_" he thought, "_but at least Alexis is safe..._" as he looked over at her, only to see her coughing heavily.

Fira laughed at the sight. "It seems the poison has finally reached her lungs. At this rate, I'd give her another ten minutes to live," she said.

"Damn it!" he cursed. "I need to finish this fast, and grab that letter."

"Alright, your turn Jaden. Make it count," she smiled.

Jaden looked at his deck. "_Listen deck, please give me a card that can help me win this. I believe in you,_" he thought, then drew his card. "I play pot of greed, which allows me to draw 2 cards," he declared, then drew his cards and smiled. "I activate the spell card O - Oversoul, which allows me to special summon a normal HERO monster from my graveyard!"

"Huh, but there are no normal HERO monsters there... unless!" she noticed, as Jaden nodded happily. "Yup, I sent it earlier for the effect of Thunder Giant. Now, come to the field, Elemental HERO Neos!" Jaden's ace appeared on the field (Atk: 2500).

"OMG! It's Neos!" Fira squeaked happily.

"Now, I summon Neo Spacian Grand Mole from my hand in attack mode" he said, as the mole drilled it's way out of the ground and onto the field (Atk: 900). "Next, I play my face-down, Mystical Space Typhoon, which destroys your face-down!" he declared.

"Smart move, Jay," said a weak Alexis.

"Alright grand mole, attack that wyvern. Now, I'll trigger my mole's effect which return's our monsters back to our hands!" he declared, while Fira was still smiling like a baby as the monsters disappeared. "Alright, to end this! Neos, do your thing; attack her directly!" Neos flew at Fira and attacked, and a happy Fira simply took the attack head-on, as the force of it sent her flying.

(Fira LP: 1600 - 0)

"That's game!" he said his favorite catchphrase, as he made his way over to his fallen opponent. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

Fira got up while still shaking. "Am I okay?" she replied quietly, before jumping up and down happily. "I'm better then okay, I feel awesome! I can't believe I was beaten by Neos!" she squealed happily.

Jaden laughed a little at the sight. "You're a weird one, aren't you," he said, then stopped laughing and said, "Okay Fira, I won. Please give me what you promised."

"Down to business already, my lord? Well, whatever," she sighed, then went over, grabbed her cloak, and pulled out the sealed letter. "Well, my lord Jaden, here's the remedy for the toxin, and the method to get rid of the poison mist," she explained, as she handed the letter over to him. As he took the letter from her, she did something unexpected; she grabbed his arm, brought him closer to her, and kissed him on the cheek.

"W-w-what was that for?" he asked, while blushing furiously.

"To prove my feelings for you. Well that was technically my first kiss, but I don't know if the cheek counts. Oh well," she smiled, before saying "Well my lord, you have passed our organization's little test. It seems you are the supreme king, so I'll report back to my leader for now", as black flames began to engulf her. "See you at the academy!" she winked, as she left him those final words, then disappeared.

* * *

Jaden stood there for a moment. "Well, that was a weird turn of events," he said.

Yubel then appeared. "Jaden, aren't you forgetting someone?" she asked.

"Oh right, Alexis!" he shouted, as he ran over to her side. She was still coughing, though not as much as before. "Alexis, just hold on! I've got the cure right here!" he exclaimed.

"Jaden, I-I'm sorry. I feel, (cough), like I'm always, (cough), just a hindrance for you," she said between coughs.

"That's not true, lex. You're always one of the best to me, and what happened today wasn't your fault" he said, trying to calm her. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm always getting you and everyone else into trouble. I didn't want any of this to happen, but they somehow always do" he said regretfully, then looked down. "Maybe, I shouldn't have come back to town."

Alexis grabbed his hand, and started to gently scold him. "You shouldn't say that, Jaden, (cough). We're the ones who, (cough), want to help you. If you'd take the jump, (cough), to save us all, then we'd take it too. Never blame yourself for events that you can't control, (cough). We all care about you, and we always will. Even I..." she stopped, as she started coughing heavily.

"Alexis!" he shouted, as he held onto her before she fell, and she no longer had the energy and power to stand. "Damn it! Alright, time to open this seal!" he declared.

"Jaden, if it's the end, I just want to say that I lov..." she tried to say, but Jaden cut her off.

"Don't say that, Alexis. It's not the end, because I'm gonna save you now! So just lie down and relax!" he said confidently.

Alexis gave a weak smile, as she closed her eyes, and tried to calm herself down. Jaden then touched the seal, and tried to open it. To his surprise, the seal reacted to his touch, and a cloud of darkness escaped the seal, and engulfed him.

* * *

Jaden opened his eyes, to find himself in a brightly lit room, with a square table in the middle. The room looked similar to ones in a medieval castle, with various inscriptions and designs on the wall. "What happened? Where am I?" he asked.

"Welcome, my lord and king, Jaden Yuki! Glad you could make it," came a voice from across the room.

Jaden looked at the source, to see a man dressed in a black suit walk into the room. The man had dark-red hair with grey hinges on the side, blue eyes, and looked like a man in his 60's, regardless of his surprisingly overwhelming physique. In his hand was a long wooden cane, with jewels encrusted on it. "Who are you?" he asked suspiciously.

"Of course, where are my manners," the man replied. He then bowed and said, "My name is Professor Alistair Crowley, archaeologist and duel philosopher extraordinaire. I am also the caretaker and leader of the Elemental Knights."

Jaden widened his eyes. "So you're the 'old man' Fira was talking about?" he asked.

"Yes, she's one of us. I'm sorry that things got out of hand with her. You see, she's a good girl normally, and I myself thought that she overdid a little," he began explaining.

"A little! You poisoned a lot of innocent people!" Jaden shouted angrily.

"I understand your anger, my lord, but remember that I used a slow-acting toxin, because I knew that you'd take the envelope from her. Plus, in the long run, if treated, the poison can be neutralized, but think about it. Were those people really as innocent as you made them out to be?" he asked.

"Well, that's..." Jaden began pondering.

"Please don't trouble yourself, my lord, I'll explain everything later. As for what happened to your friend, I'm afraid that Fira's jealousy played a big role in all of that. You see, she's very much in love with you, and who could blame her?" he explained.

"That's not important right now! I want you to remove the poison mist, and give me the cure to the poison," demanded Jaden.

"Down to business, are we?" he sighed. "Well, no matter. An order is an order." Then, the man began to chant in a language Jaden was unfamiliar with. When the man was done, he looked at Jaden and smiled. "Well my lord, the mist is disappearing as we speak, and the poison is starting to evaporate from the bodies of the people infected. I know that you have many questions, but they'll have to wait for later. Very soon, all we be revealed. Now, I think it's time for you to return." With that, the man snapped his fingers, and Jaden was engulfed in darkness again.

* * *

When Jaden opened his eyes, the darkness was gone, and Jaden was back on top of the bridge. The first thing he noticed was that the seal had disappeared, and a note fell out, that simply said '_Till next time, my king_'. Jaden then went over to Alexis, to check on her and see if the poison was gone, and if she was alright.

"Yubel!" he called for her.

"Yes, Jaden?" she replied.

"Teleport us back to the restaurant. We need to get there, so Alexis can get looked at" he ordered.

"What about that man, Jaden?" she asked.

"Don't worry about him. I have a feeling that we're going to see him again real soon. For now, we've got to check the restaurant, to confirm if the poison is truly gone or no,t" he said.

He then picked up and carried a resting Alexis in his arms, as Yubel teleported them back to the restaurant.

* * *

"How was he, Fira?"

"Awesome! my lord was so cool!"

"Good, glad you had fun. Now, go join the others. It's time for phase two. Get ready, my king, here we come!"

* * *

**The first thing I thought when I finally finished this chapter was: "THERE"S SO MUCH TO KEEP TRACK OF! HOW AM I GOING TO UNDERSTAND IT ALL!" I'm sure that you readers feel the same way. I mean, this chapter ended with more questions then answers. What is the goal of the elemental knights, and who are the remaining knights? Are they all top class duelists like Fira? And most importantly, who is professor Crowley, and what's his purpose for Jaden? There are probably more then that, but I'll let you ask the questions. That's your job, as it is mine to slowly answer.**

**I think Fira being Italian was a surprise, though I thought the last name would give it away. The word _'Ignizione' _means ignition in Italian, a word that is related to fire in a way, which in turn relates to Fira. Oh, and don't worry about Alexis; I promise you, she'll get her redemption. Oh, and just for the record, Jaden was not affected by the poison, for the same reason Fira wasn't affected; because of his powers. Just a little FYI.**

**Anyways, I guess it's time for a little card lore. Today, it's the wyverns:**

_"A sister race of the dragons, these giant birds of pray are a force in the air. Despite their reckless aggression, they are actually quite smart, and have even mastered the use of advanced weaponry, to gain an edge over the dragons, and to crush all who stand before them!"_

**A few of the new cards used today:**

**Missile Wyvern  
Level 3/Fire/Winged-Beast  
Attack: 1300/Defense: 1000  
Effect: Once per turn, discard 1 card; this card can double it's attack until the end of your battle phase, and you do, destroy it at the end phase.**

**Torpedo Wyvern  
Level 5/Fire/Winged-Beast  
Atk: 2100/Def: 1600  
Effect: If this card attacks or is attacked; during the damage step, increase this card's attack by 100x the level of the monster it is battling.**

**Bladerush Wyvern  
Level 7/Fire/Winged-Beast/Fusion  
Atk: 2600/Def: 1800  
"Torpedo Wyvern" + "Cutthroat Wyvern"  
If this card attacks and destroys a monster in defense mode, inflict piercing battle damage. Any non-FIRE monster that battles with this card has it's effects negated.**

**So that's about it. If you want to know about any other cards, just let me know.**

**Told you that this chapter would have everything: Action, drama, suspense, comedy, etc. This was the last chapter of the first arc, and what a way it ended, huh! Anyways, next time is the "Duel Academy Showdown" arc, which will start with the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the Academy**

**Jaden and Alexis end up resting at home, after the events of that night. Mac sheds a little more insight on just who Professor Crowley really is, and what could be his true objective. Meanwhile, Yubel reveals a way to speed up Alexis's healing process, but this method is a bit... personal! We also get a little look at how Alexis truly feels. All this and more in Chapter 11: Unspoken Words**

**So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support!**

**With that, I end my turn.**


	11. Unspoken Words

**A good day to you all. Man, it's great to be back! Sorry for the delay you guys, it's been a rough time lately. I've had a few internet connection problems and the like, and yes, it lasted that long. Unbelievable, but true nonetheless. I promise to make up for it with a great chapter to kick off the second arc!**

**Thanks for the support so far! It's been great to know that people are still following this story, even during this little hiatus. Today's chapter takes a more dramatic approach, that will reveal a lot of hidden secrets, and culminate in probably one of the most unexpected, if not shocking, cliffhangers I have ever written, so please look forward to it. All I can say is that it's going to really be a turning point in the relationship of two certain friends...**

**Last time on Beyond the Academy:**

**Jaden's night out is disrupted by Fira, a member of the elemental knights, who kidnaps Alexis and poisons everyone, then forces him to duel her, with lives on the line. He then has a chance meeting with a man, who knows a lot about the Supreme King. A new battle is about to begin.**

**So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Unspoken Words

**Part 1**

When Jaden arrived back at the restaurant, the medics and the cops were already there. The medics had a shocked look on their faces; after all, the people who had been poisoned, and looked to be on the verge of death, had suddenly woken up from their slumber, as if nothing had happened to them. After multiple tests, they determined that there was inconclusive evidence of the fact that the people had been poisoned, whether by the restaurant or otherwise, due to a lack of proof of any traces of the poison inside the bodies of the victims. Of course, they didn't have Jaden's eyes, which saw the black poison mist silently leave the bodies of the people, and disappear into the night.

"It seems like that man held his part of the bargain," said Yubel.

"Seems so," replied Jaden, as he went over to the medics to get Alexis treated, and to confirm if she was okay or not.

As soon as he gently placed Alexis on the floor of the restaurant for the doctors to examine her, Jaden collapsed, probably due to fatigue, and passed out. The last thing he saw as his eyes began closing shut, were the medics who were treating Alexis, and the others who had just noticed that he fainted, coming to his aid.

* * *

Atticus yawned, as he woke up from his little coma. "_What happened to me?_" was the first thing he asked himself, before turning to check on Mac, who was still unconscious. "Hey Reg, rise and shine," he said in a sweet voice, attempting to wake her from her slumber. After shaking her body gently a few times, she slowly began to awaken.

"Huh, what happened?" she asked in a groggy voice, while rubbing her eyes. "Last I remember, we were watching Jaden and Alexis having their little chat, and then there was this dark fog or something that started to fill this place up. After that, it's just blank. Empty, as if I was asleep the whole time," she explained, trying to recall the events that had transpired.

"Yeah, everyone was in a state of panic, thanks to the fog, but suddenly we all just lost consciousness or something, probably due that mysterious mist, but right now, everyone seems to be fine, as if nothing happened," he explained.

They both noticed that the police and several medics were swarming the place, checking on each and every one of the customers and staff members, who had apparently all fallen under the same circumstances as the two of them. A policeman then noticed the two of them, and walked over.

"Are you two alright? Do you feel weird or sick?" he asked.

"No officer, we're perfectly fine," replied Atticus. "What happened here, though?"

"Well, based on reports from the first team of medics to arrive on the scene, everyone in the restaurant seemed to be in a comatose state, and all of them seemed to have been poisoned, which was strange, considering that the place was nice and tidy when we arrived, besides a few tables that had been knocked over, and a strange burn mark in the middle of the room," the officer reported. "Then, several minutes later, the victims started waking up, as if nothing ever happened, and there were no traces of poison in their bodies. Not a single drop! It's as if the poison had simply disappeared into thin air! Amazing, right!"

Atticus and Mac looked at each other for a second. "So, everyone inside is okay?" asked Mac.

"Pretty much. The only two cases that were a bit severe, were a boy and a girl who arrived at the restaurant in tatters," he replied.

Atticus and Mac instantly widened their eyes, and began looking around at the other people inside, hoping that those two weren't the duo that the cop described. After failing to locate them, Atticus ran back to the officer.

"Where are those two? What happened to them? Can you tell me what they look like?" he asked in a loud, panicked voice.

The officer began to back down due to the pressure exerted on him. "Woah, calm down sir. Like I said, it wasn't that severe. If you want to know more, the two of them are being treated at the front door, and the medics can give you a better explanation of the situation. The docs are debating whether or not to take them to the hospital, or let them rest at home instead, seeing as their injuries aren't life-threatening. As for what they looked like, I think the boy had brown hair and eyes, while the girl had blonde hair,and was probably the prettiest girl I've seen in a long time, and... HEY!" The officer stopped as he noticed that the two of them were making their way to the front door.

As they reached the front door, they saw the two of them lying down on stretchers and being attended to by the doctors. "Alexis! Jaden!" Atticus called out to the two of them, as he made his way to their side. Mac gasped at the scene of the two of them, while Atticus frowned and clinched his fist. Alexis's dress was dirty and slightly torn, and her right hand was completely swollen. She also had a few cuts and bruises, but her case was nothing compared to Jaden's. His suit had been torn to shreds, and he had various cuts, bruises and burns all over his body.

"What happened to the two of them?! Are they alright?!" Atticus asked the medic treating them in a loud voice, clearly about to enter a fit of rage.

"Calm down, sir," she replied. "They're both okay. The boy looks bad on the outside, but in reality he's just fatigued. We've treated the major injuries, and at the surprising rate that they're healing, he'll be as good as new within a couple of days. As for the young lady, except for her right hand, she's fine physically. I would recommend letting her rest that right hand in ice for at least a few days, while periodically removing it to apply some ointment. She apparently also received a couple of sharp blows to the stomach area, but again, nothing too serious. On the inside, however, it's a different story, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?" asked Mac.

"Well," the medic began, "normally, all the pain she received on the outside should have been bearable after treatment, but that toxin that we analyzed earlier increases the sensitivity of the nerves and pain receptors, and I think that this young lady was exposed to that toxin, when she received her bruises. As such, whoever or whatever gave her those injuries, while it seemed fine on the outside, on the inside, the confused nerves registered the pain as immense, and in shock from receiving that level of pain, she probably passed out."

"Well, did you see what happened to them, or do you at least have an idea?" asked Mac, while calming Atticus at the same time.

The medic simply shook her head. "No idea," she replied. "The theory, though, is that the two of them were attacked." Atticus and Mac widened their eyes in disbelief, while the medic continued. "Seeing all the cuts and bruises, as well as the torn clothes, led us to this theory, seeing that everyone else was alright." The medic got up, and asked, "By the way, are you two relatives of the victims? If so, then I need you to kindly decide on a course of action; whether to take these two home, or to the hospital. So, what's it going to be?"

"Yes, the girl is my sister Alexis, and the young man is one of my good friends, and her boyfriend, Jaden," replied Atticus.

"So, her boyfriend, huh," the medic said, while giving a small smile. "Well that explains a lot."

"What do you mean?" asked Mac.

"Well, as you can see, Jaden over here took a good amount of physical damage, while Alexis took less. My deduction is this; whoever or whatever attacked them, it seems that over here was protecting Alexis from physical harm as best he could, hence the difference in the number of cuts and bruises," explained the medic. "Man, I'm so jealous! I wish my boyfriend actually had the guts to protect me like that. Most boys would probably turn tail, and run in the face of extreme danger. Sadly, I guess I'm stuck with him," she sighed, while Atticus and Mac gave confused looks.

"Alright, I think it's best that we just take the two of them home to rest, if the injuries truly aren't severe," decided Mac after a brief silence.

"Sure, just let me get some meds from the ambulance, and some ointment for the young lady," replied the medic, as she went over to pick up the prescriptions from the other doctors.

Atticus stared long and hard at Jaden, a slightly sad expression crossing his face. All this time, he had known that to Alexis, Jaden had a special place in her heart. However, he didn't know how Jaden felt in return, and at some points, had just given up, and tried to hook up Alexis with other guys he knew. He had always been positive, though, that Jaden had at least some romantic feelings for Alexis, but could never actually confirm it.

Mac took one look at Atticus, then hugged him tightly. "Atty, calm down. You heard her, they'll be fine," she said. "They just need some rest."

After a brief moment, Atticus spoke up. "You know, originally, I was gonna shout, scream, or even take my anger out on someone for what happened. But, I'm actually a little happy, believe it or not." Mac looked confused, as he continued. "I'm glad that Jaden was there to prevent the worst from happening." He then looked up to the sky. "You know what, I'm going to stop trying to hook up my sister with guys she's clearly not interested in, because of my selfish desires, and I'm going to let her focus all her attention towards that dense oaf over here. But to do that, you and I are going to have to keep any unwanted ladies out of his life. So, you in Mac?" he smiled.

She sighed, before returning the smile. "As long as it doesn't involve anything serious or flirty, I'm in," she responded confidently. "Well then, it's time we headed home."

Once the medic returned with the necessary medicine, they helped get the two of them into an ambulance, so the medics could drop them off at home.

* * *

**Part 2**

Jaden opened his eyes, to find himself floating in nothingness.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You're inside your mind, Jaden," answered a voice close by.

Yubel then appeared, and Jaden asked, "Inside my mind? You mean that I'm dreaming?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," she replied.

Jaden slowly started to recall what had happened the other night. "I remember that I beat Fira in a duel, saved Alexis and everyone in the restaurant, and when I let the doctors look at her, my mind suddenly went blank," he said.

Yubel sighed. "That's because you over-exerted yourself, and collapsed due to fatigue. You've been out for at least a couple of days now, I believe."

"Man, that sucks," he complained. His expression then changed, and he turned to face Yubel. "How about Alexis? How is she?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Relax, Jaden. She's alive and well. She's simply recovering in her room, just like you are in yours. But enough talking; you should wake up, and go visit her yourself," she said.

Jaden's expression darkened in an instant. "How can I, after all that's happened, after I let her get hurt again? Because of me, she got kidnapped, and used as a hostage. She even got hurt physically because of me. How can I even face Atticus and Mac, let alone Alexis, after all of that!" He paused for a second, then sighed. "I think that I should just leave before anyone else gets hurt, and... OW!" he stopped, as Yubel had flicked his forehead. "What was that for?!"

"That was for the dense oaf, who still can't seem to understand," she replied. "Have you actually tried voicing your concerns with Alexis or with any of your friends?" Jaden's eyes widened as she continued. "If you sat down and talked, then you'll realize that there's nothing to fear. Those friends of yours are irreplaceable treasures, and they shine the brightest when you're right there with them, not when you're apart. If you think for a second that disappearing from their lives is the best way to fix things, or that it'll do them any favors, then you've got it wrong!" She then smiled. "Though I say all this, I used to have a completely different view back then. Ironic, isn't it? But enough about me; it's time you got out of here, and went to tell her everything, then you'll see. Everything will be back to the way it was, just like you were back at the academy."

Jaden remained silent for a while, then took a deep breath. "Alright Yubel, I'm going to confess everything to Alexis, and I'm going to promise to never keep a secret from her ever again!" he declared.

"Even the one about you being a dragoon?" she asked.

"Yeah, even that. I'm gonna be perfectly honest!" he replied.

"You know, 'all' your secrets is a bit extreme. Everyone can keep a secret or two to themselves," she sighed. "Well, whatever, off you go. I'll be watching your actions, though I can't save you if you screw up," she said, as she disappeared.

"Yeah, thanks for having my back," he said sarcastically, as his consciousness began to float again.

* * *

Jaden slowly began to open his eyes, his consciousness finally beginning to surface. The first think he noticed was that, like Yubel had said, he was in his room (the guest room), and that it was currently day time. The clock on his left read '1:15 PM', which told him that it was currently early in the afternoon.

The first thing that popped in his mind was, "_Gotta get up, and find out how long I was out."_

As he got out of bed and made his way to the door, he stopped to take a look through the mirror at the end of the room, and after taking off the shirt that he was wearing, he noticed that outside of a couple of bandages here and there, he was in pretty good shape.

"_Man, this quick healing power really comes in handy sometimes,_" he thought. As he was about to leave, the door opened and Mac came in.

"Hey, Jaden! You up yet...," she began, but stopped after seeing Jaden in front of her. She took a good, long look at him, before smiling. "Well, someone's been working out," she said, in a teasing tone.

Jaden stared at her in confusion for a second, before realizing that he had his shirt off in front of a girl. "Aahh!" he gave a startled shout, covering up his chest while blushing.

Mac laughed after getting the reaction she wanted. "Man, you are pretty timid for such a brave duelist. Don't worry Jay, you're not doing anything wrong. Men should show their chests with pride. In fact, it should be me blushing and getting all flustered. Plus, we're practically family, or will be anyways, so we really don't have to hide anything from each-other," she said.

Jaden looked at her suspiciously for a second, before sighing. "Alright, if you say so, then I guess it's okay," he said, putting on his shirt. "By the way, what did you mean by 'practically family'?" he asked.

"Oops, let that one slip. My bad!" she said quietly, before turning towards Jaden. "It's nothing, Jaden. Well, I'll go call Atty, and get you some lunch. In the meantime, get dressed, and wait over here until I get back, okay?", then left the room before Jaden could respond.

"What was that all about?" he asked, as he put his shirt back on, and sat down on his bed.

* * *

After a short while, Mac returned, bringing Atticus and a tray of food along with her. Atticus ran over, hugging Jaden while sobbing, with Mac trying to restrain him. After all sides calmed down, and Jaden had finished eating his meal (which he had five helpings of), the three of began to discuss the events that transpired while Mac and Atticus were out cold.

"That girl named Fira showed up. She said she was part of an organization to 'revive' the supreme king," Jaden stated.

"Supreme king? You mean that alter ego of yours that Atty keeps bringing up?" asked Mac.

"Yeah, that one. I'll fill you in on everything else about it later, Mac," said Atticus, then he turned around to Jaden and asked, "So basically, this girl was after you?"

"Yeah, and she poisoned everyone in the restaurant, and also kidnapped Alexis, to force me into a duel, although I think she had other hidden motives," explained Jaden. "Anyways, she told me to meet her on the Domino City Bridge, so I ran all the way over there. When I got there, Alexis was already in pretty bad shape, so I think that Fira might have... assaulted her," Jaden said, those last two words coming out of his mouth remorsefully.

Atticus began clinching his fist hard ,while Mac grabbed his other hand trying to calm his down. "So I got to the scene, and dueled Fira, but for some reason, the damage from the monster attacks were real, despite the duel not being a shadow duel. Because of that, I tried my best to protect Alexis and keep her from getting hurt, at least even more then she was. After a struggle, I somehow managed to beat her in the end, and she gave me the cure to the poison, which was apparently inside a sealed letter, only for that seal to somehow teleport me to this castle-like place," Jaden said.

"Wait, you were teleported somewhere? Is that even possible...," Atticus began, then remembered that this was Jaden he was talking about.

"I don't really know. All I do know, is that a man named Alistair Crowley came up to me. He's the one who sent Fira to duel me, and he's the one who told her to poison everyone, though based on him, he had nothing to do with what happened to Alexis. He said that the duel was a 'test' of sorts, and that this Fira girl, and the others who work for him, were all students at the academy," he replied.

Atticus and Mac both widened their eyes. How could a supposedly evil organization be working right under the nose of Chancellor Sheppard!

"_Then again, it wouldn't be the first time...,_" thought Atticus with a blank, cold expression.

"So, unless you guys know something about this Crowley guy," Jaden continued, "I'm out of ideas."

Silence filled the room for a while, before Mac got up and started to leave. As she headed out, she told the boys, "Listen guys, Alistair Crowley is well known in the duel philosophy world. He's an accomplished professor, who's published hundreds of papers and published thousands of articles in several, well-known scientific magazines, not to mention the fact that he was invited as a key speaker in a large number of world conferences and forums. He was also nominated for a Nobel prize at one point! That's common knowledge for anyone who's studied Philosophy, however I don't know why he's at duel academy, or what his motives are, but I do know someone who can find out."

"Please don't tell me that it's 'that' guy," Atticus groaned.

"I'm sorry Atticus, but he's the only one who might be able to help us now," she explained, then turned to Jaden. "Listen Jay, I'm going to ask a senior and old friend of mine, David Rabb, to help us find out what we need to know. Although he and Atty don't exactly see eye-to-eye, he's got the hacking skills and knowledge we need to find out everything, so until I get some information out of him, just try to keep Atty out of trouble."

She then left to make a phone call, leaving the two of them in the room.

After a brief silence, Atticus was going to say something, before Jaden bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Atticus. Because of my powers, Alexis got hurt, and she could have gotten killed too. I know that nothing I say will change that, and you probably won't forgive me, but please, at least let me make things right!" he stated.

Atticus stared wide-eyed for a second, before sighing. Then he tapped Jaden's forehead, and said, "Listen Jay. First of all, no proud man bows their head, especially not in a begging manner like that, so raise your head, man! Secondly, it's not really my forgiveness you should be asking for, it's hers, but if you truly want my forgiveness, then you have to promise me something."

"Anything, just name it," said Jaden.

Atticus cleared his throat, and declared, "You have to promise that you'll never let her get hurt like that again, and that instead of trying to push her away, you'll keep her close to you. Also, that you'll stand by her through thick and thin, life and death, and that you'll support her, no matter what the situation, place or time!"

Jaden closed his eyes, then opened them and replied confidently, "Alright Atticus, I promise to do everything you just mentioned!"

Atticus nodded his head in satisfaction. "Good!" he said. "Now, why don't you go check on Alexis? You were planning to do that, right?"

Jaden smiled. "Okay Atticus, I'll go check up on her, and don't worry, I'll do my best not to let something like that happen again!" he declared, then left the room.

After making sure that Jaden had left, he smiled and raised his fist in satisfaction. "Man, good thing Jaden doesn't know anything about marital vows, or I would have been busted big time. Alright, I got him to make his vows. Now just as soon as Alexis does the same, they'll be like a married couple, I think. Good thing Jaden's easy to trick," he said jokingly, before realizing something. "Wait, doesn't that mean that others can do the same? Damn it, how did I not notice!" he shouted in agony. After a bit, he sighed. "Well, I'll leave that for later," he said, then walked towards the window. As he stared out into the winter clouds, he said, "Jaden, I leave her to you."

* * *

Back on the first floor, Mac had dialed a number and was waiting for a response. After a while, she heard a voice on the other end.

"Hello," said the voice.

"Hey Davis, it's me, Reggie," said Mac.

"Well, well, if it isn't good old Reg! How have you been lately? Wait, don't tell me; miserable, disappointed, wishing that you had a hot hunk like me as a boyfriend, instead of that scumbag, loser of a man you have now," he said in a proud, haughty tone.

Mac sighed. David Rabb was her childhood friend, just like Atticus and Alexis, though she knew him longer then she had known them, as the two of them were practically neighbors, and due to the closeness of their parents, 'siblings'. They had even attended the same schools, while she was living in the US. Mac, however, didn't really like David as a person. Through high school, David was a womanizer, and thought that he was the center of the world, always acting above others, and bullying the weak.

When Mac moved on to duel college, David followed, as he thought of Mac as the 'crown jewel' in his collection of conquests, and that he was the only man for her, so when Atticus came along, and Mac started getting attracted to him, David felt threatened for the first time in his life, and he began to harass Atticus, though Atticus never faltered, and continued loving life as usual. Mac knew that Atticus was the complete opposite of David, in that he was kind, caring and selfless, always helping others when needed, and while Atticus did flirt with other girls, it was never serious, and most of the time, it would be the girls that started it, or Atticus just trying to get her attention.

Eventually, after Atticus and Mac started dating, David finally snapped and challenged Atticus to a duel, only to be completely destroyed. In shock from his defeat, and the embarrassment it brought him, David became a shut-in, and eventually, nobody saw him on campus ever again (except during classes).

"So, why'd ya call? Ready to give up on 'Snoticuss', and become my woman?" he asked mockingly.

"_Snoticuss?! Really?!" _thought Mac in disbelief. "Listen David, I need a favor; I need you to hack into the duel academy servers, and find out everything you can about Alistair Crowley," she said.

"Crowley? You mean the old professor?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's him. I need that info, pronto!" she demanded.

"Well, I'll get it for you, but not without a price. If I get you this info, you have to come to my room, and...," he began, before he was cut off.

"Listen you selfish, perverted son of a b****! You'll get me that info, or I'll go over to your place right now, and chop your balls off! We clear!" she threatened.

"Crystal, ma'am! I'll get it right away!" came the panicked response.

Mac sighed, thinking that today was going to be a long day.

* * *

**Part 3**

Jaden stepped into Alexis's room, to find Alexis resting quietly in her bed. Seeing her in this state made Jaden regret coming, but he took a deep breath, and strengthened his heart and resolve, then stepped inside. Once he made his way over to her bedside, he took a nearby seat.

After taking a long, hard look at her, he said, "Hey lex, you're looking better." Her hand was less swollen, and some of the cuts and bruises had begun to fade and heal, but based on what he had heard from Atticus, a doctor had come to visit while he was out, and said that due to the immense shock she received from the pain, she would need at least a week to recover fully.

"I'm sorry, Alexis. I got you into this mess, and because of that, you might not be up for a while, and we also might have to miss that reunion in a weeks time. I'm sorry I keep pushing you guys away, but that's because I really care about you guys, and I don't want to see any of you get hurt," he said. "Especially you, lex. To me, you're..."

He stopped, as he noticed that his heart had started beating faster, and inside of him, he felt something he hadn't really felt before. "W-What's going on?!" he stammered nervously.

"Okay Jaden, calm down," he told himself, slowly relaxing as he did. After calming himself, he looked back at Alexis, and said, "I wish there was a way to fix this, or at least, a way to help you heal faster."

"There is, Jaden," said Yubel, who had appeared right next to him.

"Wait, there is? How?" he asked.

"You shouldn't sound so surprised. I thought you had already known, but apparently, you still don't know everything about the powers of the supreme king. Listen, it's simple; by transferring a small portion of your power to her, you can help accelerate her natural healing process," she explained.

"Transfer some of my power to her? But how?" he asked.

"It's simple, really. I **am** a part of you after all. Summon me, using your powers, in a physical form, then by establishing a link between you and her, which will allow me to possess her," she said.

"Wait, possess her? You mean, like what happened with Jesse back then?" he asked.

"Yes, only I'm not doing it to get back at you," she said with a bitter laugh. "Anyways, I'll possess her, release some of your power inside of her, and let her body do the rest of the work."

"Alright Yubel, if it'll work, i'll do it," he said confidently.

"A good choice, Jaden," she replied, then she thought with a smirk,"_And maybe I can find out a little bit about this Alexis girl myself."_

"Alright, let's do this!" he declared. After rushing back to his room, and grabbing his duel disk, he activated his powers, turned on the duel disk, then declared, "I summon Yubel!"

Instantly, Yubel materialized into a physical form. "Ah, it's great to feel my body again!" she exclaimed, while stretching out. She looked at Jaden, and said, "Alright Jaden, lets get to work, but first...", then pounced and begun hugging him playfully. "Oh Jaden, I've wanted to hug you like this for so long!" she exclaimed happily.

"Hey, Yubel! Stop that, it's embarrasing!" Jaden complained, while blushing.

"Haha, still can't handle the direct approach from the opposite gender. Oh Jaden, what am I going to do with you?" she sighed, then she smiled and said, "Unless, you're embarrassed because it's me," in a flirtatious tone.

"Well, that's more or less it," he stammered while looking away.

"Oh Jaden, I'm so happy," she said, tightening her grip. After a brief moment, she let go of him. "Alright, enough teasing. Time to get to work," she said.

The two of them positioned themselves right next to Alexis. "Jaden, I need you to create a spiritual link between you and Alexis. To do that, you simply have to establish physical contact with her," she explained.

"Wait, what type of contact?" he asked, pretending that he didn't hear her.

Yubel sighed. "It's easy, Jaden. Just take her hand, and hold it tight, nothing more then that," she said. "_That's not the best method, but I think that kissing and other romantic related stuff are out of his league right now," _she thought secretly.

Jaden looked at Alexis, and said, "Alright lex, this is for you," as he then grabbed her hand gently.

Yubel waited until she felt the connection, and said quietly, "Wow, that's a pretty strong link. She must care for you a great deal."

"What d'ya mean, Yubel?" he asked, confused.

"If a spriritual link between two people is strong, that means that the two people in question share a deep bond, and care for each-other a great deal. It seems you two share a bond far deeper then friendship. Think about that, Jaden," she explained, before slowly entering and possessing Alexis's body.

"_A bond greater then friendship? What could it be?_" he thought, while gazing at Alexis.

* * *

Yubel quickly moved through Alexis's body, and reached her brain. "Now, it's time to do the tasks that I came to do. Firstly, lets take a little peek at this girl's memories," she said.

As she was looking through Alexis's memories, she found an interesting moment she wanted to check out, and so she accessed a memory from Alexis's childhood days. The scene was at the park, where a young Alexis (9 years old) was playing in the sandbox, making a sandcastle. As she was about to put the final touches, a couple of slightly older boys came up to her.

"Well, would you look at that. The little girly is playing by herself in our sandbox," the leader of the boys said.

"It's a public sandbox. Everyone can use it, and I don't see your name on it,"she replied.

"Well, well. A tough one, ain't ya! Boys, let's show her what we do to tough brats like her!" Then the boys proceeded to destroy the sandcastle.

"No! I spent a whole day working on that! How could you?!" she shouted, tears forming in her eyes.

"Aw, is the little baby gonna cry to her mommy?" the boys mocked her, laughing as they did it.

Tears slowly streamed down her face, as she shouted at the boys, "You stupid bullies! You're just a bunch of jerks!" Then, she grabbed some sand, and threw it at the boys. The sand hit two of the boys in the eyes, and one in the nose.

"Ah, my eyes! I can't see!" shouted one of the boys, before he hit a nearby tree face first, and fell to the ground, clutching his face, while the other two, in a panic, ran into each-other, and were knocked down.

"Haha, you boys got you deserve," she laughed, mocking the boys.

"Why you little!" the leader screamed, then they started to gang up on Alexis. In that instant, a water balloon struck the leader's face. "Huh, who's there? Show yourself!" the boy shouted, trying to wipe the water off his face.

"HAHAHAHA!" A mysterious laugh echoed through the trees in the park.

"Who is this guy? Is he making fun of us?" the leader muttered.

"Who am I?" the voice boomed. "I am the voice of justice, and protector of the weak! I help save the cute damsels from the evil ogres that try to do them harm!"

"What'd he say?" asked one of the boys.

"I don't know, but I think he just insulted us!" exclaimed the leader.

"You evil villains shall now feel my wrath!" boomed the voice. An instant later, several water balloons came raining down on the boys.

"AAHH!" they screamed, trying to escape the assault. The assault continued, until the leader just shouted, "This place is cursed! Let's get out of here!", as they picked themselves up, and ran as fast as they could, screaming 'Curse!' and 'Monster!', on their way out of the park.

Alexis was silent as the events transpired, but she started laughing soon after. "Park spirit? Really?" she stated, while laughing.

"I have saved you, fair maiden! Now, farewell!" boomed the voice.

"Yeah, bye spirit," she said, then added quietly, "I mean brother."

Moments later, her brother stepped out of the trees, and waved at Alexis. "Hey sissy, how was your day?" he asked with a smile.

"Well, I was building a sandcastle, but these bullies came and destroyed it, but then, this mysterious 'forest spirit' came, and punished those bad guys! So yeah, it was okay," she smiled.

"Great to hear it! Well, it's time we headed back," he said. As they were about to leave, Atticus stopped. "Oh right! Hey lexi, did you finish that homework that your class got?" he asked.

"Homework? You mean the one my teacher gave my class where we write about our futures?" she asked.

"Yeah, that," he said.

"I've already got my answer. I'm gonna be a teacher when I grow up!" she exclaimed.

"Wow, a teacher? That's awesome!" he smiled. "What about your future husband?" he said, trying to tease her.

"Yeah, I thought about that too. I want to be married to someone strong and kind, someone who truly loves me for who I am, and can understand me. He doesn't have to be really handsome or smart, but he's gotta be a great duelist, at least at my level, if not better. Yeah, someone like you, brother," she said happily.

Atticus blushed a little. "Someone like me, huh?" He then turned around, and said, "Alright Alexis, I'll help you find that guy," with a smile.

"Okay, thanks brother!" she replied with a smile.

All the while, Yubel looked on. "_Hm, interesting. I could use this!_" she thought, with a smirk. She left that memory, and started searching again, until she found another one that she liked. "Oh, now this one I've got to see," she said, accessing the memory. The first thing she noticed, was that she was in a room, similar to the Obelisk Blue dorm rooms at Duel Academy. She heard the door open, and saw Alexis enter the room, a sad expression on her face. "_I have a hunch that I know what this one is,_" she thought.

Alexis walked over to her desk, and sat down. After a moment, she said in a soft voice, "So, I messed up. He was right there, and we were alone. It was perfect, and I screwed up." Her mood suddenly changed, and she swung an angry fist on the table. "Well, it's also Jaden's fault! Why won't that jerk take a hint! I think it was obvious from my body language and expressions, but no, he just had to be dumb and clueless! Oh my god, Jaden, you are so...AAGH!," she shouted while messing her hair, then she stopped and started laughing. "Look at me," she said, "pinning the blame on others. It was my fault for not being direct, and telling him. Jaden is clueless, and only a direct approach would have probably worked. Silly me!" Then she giggled softly, before tears started falling out of her eyes. "Huh, why am I crying? It's not like there aren't other guys like Jaden out there, right..." She stopped, before her smile disappeared, and her tears intensified. "Oh, who am I kidding? There are no guys like Jaden out there! I...I..." She couldn't finish her sentence, and began sobbing softly.

Yubel, who was watching, decided to leave at this point, as she couldn't bear to see the rest. "Interesting. It seems she really loves Jaden, and Jaden alone. She could have had any other guy, and yet she probably fell for the one guy that didn't really see her that way. It's ironic, really. Well, Jaden didn't even know what love is at the time, so...," she commented. "Anyways, let's have a look at one more, then I have to wake her up," she said. Yubel continued searching, until she found a memory she thought was interesting, and accessed it.

It was a sunny day, and a slightly older Alexis (from the time of the previous memory), dressed in a casual, light-blue top and skirt, was sitting on a bench, reading a book about duel theories. All the guys who passed by were stuck staring at her alluring figure.

"Hey man, isn't that Alexis Rhodes from overseas." "Dude, she is totally hot." "What I'd give to go on a date with that hot chick." "Man, if only I had five minutes alone with that hot body of hers. She must be, like, one of the hottest chicks on campus or something," were some of the comments she overheard.

She sighed. "_Those idiots all just want my body or looks. They don't care about the fact that I'm a good duelist, or have some of the highest grades on campus. They all just want to 'score' with a 'hot chick'. What a bunch of animals,_" she thought. She closed her book, and got up to leave. At that moment, three guys blocked her path. They were all good-looking guys, but they all had an evil look on their faces.

"Hey babe, name's Johnny Rodgers, up and coming track-and-field star, and you are the lucky dame who gets to be the next girlfriend of 'The Johnny'," he said with a cocky attitude, a smirk on his face.

Alexis sighed, then said, "Tempting, but no. I'm not into selfish, cocky, narcissistic jocks like you. Now, if you'll excuse me." Then, she turned around to leave, only for the two other boys to grab her, and pin her down suddenly, one from either side.

"Well, getting dumped is fine and all, but here's the problem," he said, his face revealing a very sinister smile. "I'm not asking!" The two boys picked her up, and he continued. "By the way, I heard poor old David also tried to make a move, and you knocked him into next week. Well, not today! I'm going to make you my woman, in mind and in body!"

Alexis laughed, while saying,"A wimp like you, who only knows how to harass and assault girls. Don't make me laugh! You wouldn't even be able to get an old lady to date you!"

Veins started popping up on Johnny's forehead while Alexis laughed, and he clinched his fist, then swung at Alexis, screaming, "you little b****!"

In that instant, Johnny took a very sharp blow to the head, and fell unconscious to the ground. "You bastards! What do you think you're doing to my BFF!" Mac had appeared, and seeing that Alexis was in trouble, rushed to her aid, and kicked the guy harassing her in the head.

"Mac!" exclaimed Alexis.

"Hey lex. Why don't you just beat up these guys already, so we can go grab some lunch like we planned," said Mac.

"Sorry, I'll get on it right away," she replied, then she kicked the first guy in the gut, and using her now free right hand, she punched the other guy in his solar plexus. The two of them both fell to the ground. Alexis walked up to Mac. "Well, that was a close one. If you hadn't taught me those self-defense moves, I probably wouldn't have made it," she said.

"Glad to hear it, lex. Now, let's get some lunch," suggested Mac. On the way to the cafe, Mac asked, "By the way, don't you think that all those boys will leave you alone, if you just got yourself a boyfriend?"

Alexis groaned. "Not you two, Mac. Listen, none of the boys here are my type, and they're only after my body and looks. There are a couple of decent guys here and there, but they're either taken, or well... they just don't appeal to me. They're nothing like him..."

"Wait, him?" asked Mac.

"N-nothing!" stammered Alexis. "L-Let's just go get some lunch!", then she ran off quickly.

Mac stood there stunned. "Him, huh? She's not telling me something, and I'm gonna find out. I think Atty might know where to start," she said, then she ran after her.

Yubel exited the memory, and began processing what she had just seen. "_Hm, interesting. All these memories have given me some very useful information, mostly about how she feels towards Jaden. Now, how to tell Jaden without spoiling it. Well, first things first,_" she thought.

She continued moving through the brain, until she reached Alexis's consciousness, which she saw as a physical representation of Alexis herself, floating around. "Alright, now to transfer A bit of Jaden's powers to her," she said. Yubel released a small ball of energy from her hands, green in color, and shot it into her consciousness, which began shining brightly as a result.

"Now, I think it's time for me to go," she said, as she disappeared.

* * *

Jaden was grabbing Alexis's hand, focusing only on her, feeling his power slowly flow into her. Suddenly, her body began to glow, which startled him, releasing Alexis's hand in the process. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Your power is doing this," said Yubel, who appeared next to him.

"My power?" he asked.

"Yes. Thanks to her now having a small portion of your power, her injuries have started to heal at a much faster rate, and any minute now, she's going to wake up," explained Yubel.

"Let's hope so," he said. Several minutes later, the glow on her body disappeared. The first thing that Jaden noticed was that her swollen hand had almost gone back to normal; only a small, red bruise remained. A vast majority of her remaining cuts and bruises had also healed and disappeared, and it looked like she would be back to full health within the next couple of days. Jaden took a good long look at her. "_My powers can do all this. Amazing,_" he thought.

"I'm not really surprised, and neither should you be," said Yubel. "You are the supreme king after all, so you should at least be able to do this much."

A small voice snapped the two out of their conversation. "Huh, where am I?" asked Alexis, who had just woken up.

"Alexis!" Jaden shouted enthusiastically.

"Jaden, is that you?" she asked. After slowly getting up into a sitting position, she looked around the room, and after confirming Jaden's presence, she smiled.

Jaden returned the smile, and said, "Welcome back, lex!"

"How long was I out?", was the first thing she asked Jaden.

"About two days, same as me," he replied, before putting on a sad expression. "Alexis, I'm sorry. You got kidnapped and hurt, because of who I am. Originally, I was planning to hit the road again, but that meant pushing you and the others away again, so instead I promised something; that I'd always stand by your side and protect you forever. That way, I can make sure that you'll always be safe."

Alexis stared for a bit, then she laughed and said, "Alright Jaden, I'll hold you to that promise, and I expect you to see it through to the end." Then she stopped smiling, and gave a serious expression. "But for me to fully trust and believe in you again, you'll have to promise something too," she declared.

"Something like what?" he asked.

"That you'll never carry a burden like that alone ever again, and that you'll let your friends help you whenever you need it. I also want you to tell me everything, and that you hide no more secrets. I honestly want you to share with me all of your fears, your thoughts, your likes, and in return, I'll do exactly the same. I want us to be perfectly honest with each-other, like an open book. Can you do that, Jaden?" she explained and asked.

Jaden took a moment to think about it, then he gave his usual confident smile. "Alright lex, I promise to tell you everything, and that I won't hide any secrets from you anymore," he declared.

Alexis returned the smile, and said, "Alright Jaden, I promise to do the same. Now, let's tell Atticus that I got up, before he worries about me again, and..." she stopped, after seeing something right above Jaden's head.

"Hey, what's wrong Alexis?" asked Jaden.

"J-Jaden?" she stammered.

"Yeah?" asked a now confused Jaden.

Alexis pointed to a spot above Jaden's head. "I can see her," she said, a slight chill in her voice.

"Huh, see who?" he asked.

"Yubel," she answered in a small, shocked voice.

Both Jaden and Yubel widened their eyes in shock, and looked at each-other.

It seems like things won't be the same between the two of them ever again.

* * *

**Well, how's that for a cliffhanger! Man, I bet nobody thought of that, though I could be wrong. I feel that this is actually the real start of the story, and a real turning point in fiancee-shipping, though that might just be me.**

**I tried to make this chapter a tad more dramatic then what a lot of GX viewers are used to, but I think a cliffhanger of this magnitude deserves a dramatic prelude, don't you.**

**Next time is gonna be a split chapter; the first half is very relevant to the story, and sheds some more insight on this new enemy. The second is a bit of a filler, and an idea courtesy of one of my readers, who was really looking forward to this idea.**

**Now for the preview:**

**Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the Academy**

**Jaden and Alexis end up in a situation that brings the two of them closer together. We learn a lot more about Professor Crowley, and a little glimpse of his true intentions and plans for Duel Academy and Jaden. Then, the group heads to the mall for some Christmas shopping, and Jaden gets a little... plump? All this and more in Chapter 12: The Night of Beginnings**

**So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support!**

**With that, I end my turn.**


	12. Night Under the Stars

**A good day to you all. So, Chapter 12, huh? When last we met, there was a huge cliffhanger, one that in my opinion, completely alters the shape of the Yugioh GX story-line. Maybe the good folks in Japan can learn a little from this story...**

**I promise that this chapter will have a satisfying conclusion to this cliffhanger. It will also shed some more light on this arc's main plot, and perhaps have a little fun in between. I had to re-write this chapter several times, so I hope this final version is appealing. **

**Just want to point out; some of my older readers have probably noticed that I've re-uploaded all of my previous chapters, from beginning to end. I did this, just so I could fix any punctuation or grammar mistakes that I had. In this way, I could clean up the chapters and make them easier to read, for both old and new readers. Sorry for the confusion. Moving on...**

**Regarding the delay, I sincerely apologize for that. As you might know, I was in my final semester, and just last month became a proud graduate. All my time was focused on my studies and my graduation. As a small apology, I plan to release chapters 12 through 16 back-to-back as quickly as I can. I'm also going to reveal my next story plans in my profile if you are interested. One last thing, since the chapters are back-to-back, my header and footer will not be present, except here and at the end of 16, so you can enjoy. So, here are the chapter titles:**

**13: Welcome (back) to duel academy**

**14: A rematch long overdue**

**15: The rampaging Cyber Dragon**

**16: The Plan in Motion**

**I do apologize, but I'm finally free for consistent updates. Wish me luck!**

**Last time on Beyond the Academy:**

**Jaden awakens from his slumber, and decides to transfer some of his powers to Alexis, in an attempt to heal her. In the process, Yubel sneaks a little peak at Alexis's memory, and gains some valuable insight. Alexis regains her health, only for the transfer to have an unexpected side-effect...**

**So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Night of Beginnings

**Part 1**

"J-Jaden?"

He heard his name come from Alexis's lips. As he looked at her, he could see the fear resonating from her body and face. Confused by all this, he responded with a single word.

"Yeah?"

He couldn't understand her fear. A moment ago, the mood seemed so bright and cheerful, and yet in an instant, her face which had shone with the brightest of smiles, had suddenly become frightened beyond belief. His confusion grew into fear itself, though, as she pointed at a spot right above Jaden's head. Normally, that would not have been a problem, except that the spot she was pointing to was where a certain, trusted duel spirit of his stood, lying in wait. The next sentence confirmed that fact.

"I can see her,"

Jaden froze up on the spot. Slowly, he began to realize the situation he was in. The problem was that he didn't want to believe it. It was something that had never happened before, something that previously was unthinkable. "_Maybe I'm just imagining things, or maybe I just misheard. Either way, I better play dumb, and hope that I was right," _he thought nervously.

"_I'm afraid it's too late for that, Jaden..." _Yubel began responding using telepathy, but Jaden had already responded.

"Huh, see who?"

The seconds passed by like ages, as Jaden hoped that his hunch was right; that it was all a misunderstanding.

Unfortunately for him, one word crushed his final hopes.

"Yubel,"

* * *

Since he was a little kid, Jaden had a strong connection to the duel spirits, and although he didn't know this, the primary, and probably only, reason for this was due to his ancient past as the supreme king. It was thanks to this connection that Yubel managed to enter his possession as a kid, that even when the kids his age avoided him, he could still have beings to call his friends. He managed to see and befriend the Winged Kuriboh spirit, not to mention tame and soothe other wild duel spirits. But even throughout most of his time at duel academy, he still regretted one thing; that he couldn't find someone to talk to about duel spirits, someone who shared the same secret as him, and maybe someone who didn't actually think he was crazy. Chazz was someone, but he felt that Chazz was trying to avoid his secret more then embrace it. It was not until the start of his third year that he met Jesse, a guy who resembled him in almost every way, and even shared his secret.

Of course, Jesse was not the only person he met back in his third year. He also had a meeting with one of his first duel spirits, Yubel. Yubel had always been with him since the beginning, and had always been protecting him in her own way, even if her methods were extreme. As a result, he lost all the friends he had ever made, some out of fear, some out of rejection. Seeing that Yubel was hurting anyone who came near him, he decided to send her into space, thinking that it would soothe her. Unfortunately, it had an adverse effect, resulting in the events that occurred next.

Ever since he re-encountered Yubel back in the other dimension, his whole life had turned upside-down. After all, she had manipulated the then living Professor Viper into initiating the survival duels, which fed her with enough energy from duelists to resurrect her. After that, she transported the entire academy to the alternate dimension, taking control of the student Marcel, and nearly destroying the academy in the process. It was then that he found out about her plans for him, and some of the reasons behind her actions. That encounter, along with her possession and (un)intended kidnapping of Jesse, had changed life for him completely, and had driven him, and his outspoken and bright personality, right off the edge.

After heading into the dark world in search of Yubel and Jesse, he unwillingly resulted in the 'death' of his friends, and found out about his past life as the Supreme King. Under the influence of his awakened powers, his tyranny had resulted in the loss of a large number of lives, until he was restored to his former self by his remaining friends and colleagues. Seeing the horrors of his actions, he decided that he would face Yubel alone, knowing that he probably wouldn't survive the encounter, though in the process, he might be able to at least right some of the wrongs he had done.

Eventually, he managed to free Jesse, and defeat Yubel in the duel. After finding out about her history with him, he decided that the best course of action was to accept Yubel into his soul through fusion, thus fulfilling a promise from years ago. In return, Yubel restored his fallen comrades, and returned them to their dimension. Although Jaden was finally able to return, he had changed; his friends began to grow distant from him, and he himself rarely, if ever, came out from his room. He cared more about saving the world and controlling his powers, and less about the impact his actions might have on those closest to him, and his friends misreading the situation as 'Jaden deliberately avoiding them' hadn't helped.

After the issue with the duel spirit, Honest, was resolved, and after winning the tag-team duel championship with Alexis, he started to regain shades of his old self again. However, it wasn't until his duel with Yugi Muto, that he finally managed to regain his true self, and return to being the same Jaden as always. There were still a couple of things he had always feared, a fear that had held him back from visiting his friends on several occasions (along with other factors), and had also initially held him back from joining the dragoons.

"_What if my powers end up harming them? What if they are scared of who I am, and what if they don't want anything to do with me ever again?"_

That fear had just become real within a matter of seconds.

* * *

Jaden stood there, frozen in his spot. The shock for him had rattled his thoughts and greatly shook his spirit, making him unable to think straight.

"Jaden, what's going on here?" asked Alexis, still shocked.

"...," Jaden stood there, trying to open his mouth, trying to get the right words out, but he just couldn't. Fear had taken over his mind and body, and his feet were starting to wobble and give in.

"Why the hell is Yubel over there? More importantly, why can I see her? I mean, I don't have powers or spiritual senses like yours. Then why..." she asked, then stopped as a thought crossed her mind.

After a brief silence, he asked, "A-Alexis, you okay?" cautiously.

Alexis's expression turned blank, and she began to shake. Jaden could feel a strong wave of confusion and discomfort coming from her, as she raised her face and looked at Jaden coldly. "Unless, I've finally lost it," she said.

"W-What are you saying...," he began hesitantly, while Yubel thought, _"I know where this is going. Luckily, I was already prepared."_

"What I'm saying Jaden, is that I think the shock of what happened the other night has caused me to become delusional," she said. "Either that, or I'm still out cold, and am currently in the middle of a weird dream. I mean, how else can you explain all of this?"

"_A dream? Is this really her dream? Well, I guess it could be, probably..." _he thought, trying to keep them to himself. Those thoughts were a result of his desire to keep her from entering his world, to keep her safe. Thinking that way, his mind began coming up with the delusion that this whole situation wasn't real, therefore, this must be a dream.

However, Yubel snapped him out of his delusions. "_Jaden, please don't step into your own world, because things aren't going your way. You know full well, that this is reality, and that no matter how much you try to reject or deny it, the girl named Alexis has awakened her spiritual awareness."_

_"Awakened! But, that's impossible! How in the world..." _he began, then stopped as he realized something.

"_Ah, I see that you have noticed it as well," _said Yubel. "_Yes, there is only one explanation for what happened: When I transferred some of your powers to her, you might have awakened an, shall we say, extra ability within her. I would call it an unexpected side effect of the transfer."_

_"You mean..." _he said.

"_Yes, her spiritual awareness has increased to the point where she's now able to see duel spirits, and as a result, well, she's in shock. Not that I blame her, mind you," _explained Yubel.

Jaden widened his eyes as he heard this bit of news, then staggered a little, as he realized the magnitude of the situation. Alexis being able to see duel spirits meant that her life would never be the same, and not in the good sense. Remembering the times that people had called him 'crazy' or 'a mental case' or 'the guy who talks to himself', among others, he could already begin to see the problems Alexis would face down the road if people found out. Her friends, her peers, and probably even her own family would freak out if they discovered this. Jaden had been fortunate to be surrounded by the right crowd, Alexis included, as well as the abundance of supernatural happenings at duel academy, and his ancient origins, but at duel college, Alexis probably had almost none of that. To top it all off, Jaden was the one who did this to her. It would have been different if Alexis had awakened her spiritual awareness on her own; Jaden could have simply explained his circumstances and using that, and using that, help her get used to her own, but he was the one who gave her that ability. His mind began drowning in inexcusable guilt.

Noticing the changes and emotions welling up in Jaden's mind, Yubel decided to take action. "_Listen Jaden, I can't bear to see you like this any longer, so I'm going to fix this by showing myself to her one more time," _she declared.

Hearing her words, Jaden snapped out of his guilt-driven thoughts. "_No, you can't! As long as she still thinks that it's a dream or hallucination, she can still get out of her situation. She can live a normal life, and she wouldn't have to get caught up in anything dangerous, and..."_ he went on rambling, but was stopped by Yubel.

"_YOU FOOL! Your guilt has blinded you, to the point that you're not even thinking straight!" _she shouted, reprimanding him. "_Even if she believes that what she saw today was a hallucination, what about the next time she encounters a duel spirit, particularly one with a hostile attitude. Then what, Jaden?" _

_"..." _Jaden remained silent, and Yubel continued.

"_The only way to resolve this peacefully, is to reveal myself to her, have her confirm her suspicions, then have you swoop in, calm her down and explain the situation to her," _she explained.

"_...Will it work?" _he asked.

"_Well, most likely. This whole idea is actually a gamble," _she revealed hesitantly.

"_A gamble?" _asked Jaden.

"_You see, revealing myself is going to be like a double-edged blade; it might work, and she accepts the reality of situation, or it will cause her enough shock and stress to potentially put her in a coma," _she explained.

"_That's too risky! I'm not going to bet her life on a gamble like that!_" he complained.

"_Well then, what do you propose we do? Surely you have another plan?_" she asked.

"_I..._" he began, but stopped.

"_I'll take your silence as a no,_" she declared. "_Alright, we follow my plan, but before that, let me ask you one question: Do you trust your Alexis? Because from what I can see, you seem to believe that she won't make it._"

"_Of course I do!_" he declared. "_I've known her for as long as I've known Chazz, Syrus and the others. I know who she is, her likes, her personality, and I trust her completely._"

"_Then, why are you hesitant? If you trust her, then you should believe that this gamble will pay off. Or am I wrong?_" she asked.

Deep down, Jaden knew she was right. There was no other option, and taking the risk was better then anything else he might come with, if he could come up with another solution. Plus, he truly believed in her, and he knew that, despite his guilt, he had to help her and help set things straight. "_Alright, I'll help you, so let's go with your idea,_" he said.

"_Now you're talking. Okay, well better reveal myself,_" she said, then vanished from his thoughts.

During the time that Jaden and Yubel were conversing in Jaden's thoughts, Alexis was having her own internal conversation. "_What did I just see? Was that Yubel? But that's impossible! I mean, I can't see spirits like Jaden. So why... no, I'm dreaming! This is definitely a dream. I mean, what else could it be..._!" she stopped, as she got her answer.

Yubel appeared above Jaden's head again. Alexis stared silently at her, as Yubel opened her mouth, and asked, "Can you hear my voice, girl?"

Alexis nodded slowly. "Then, you truly can see and hear me?" asked Yubel, to which Alexis nodded again. Yubel confirmed this, then began to speak again. "Excellent, we're on the same page," she said. "Listen to me. Apparently, there was a little side effect during the process we used to heal you, resulting in the current situation. I know that you are in shock right now, but I need you to calm down and focus with us."

"B-by us, y-you mean..." asked Alexis, the words struggling to get out.

"Yes, both Jaden and myself, but since you're more used to Jaden, I'll leave the explanations to him," replied Yubel, then she disappeared.

Inside of Jaden's mind, Jaden was flustered. "_Hey, Yubel! This wasn't part of the plan!_" he exclaimed.

"_Well, the original plan might have had some parts I didn't tell you about or... changed,_" she replied.

"_Changed? You just literally threw me into the line of fire! And how come you didn't tell me about any of this?_" he asked.

"_Honestly Jaden, would you still have done it if I told you? Plus, in this way, it works out better for everyone; you get relieve some of your guilty conscience, and she will calm herself, at least a little. With this, everybody wins. So, with that in mind, go get her tiger,_" she explained, trying to motivate him.

"_Go get her? You just left me with the hard part, then vanished. Not cool, Yubel..._" he began, then noticed that everything he had previously said, he had said it out loud, and Alexis had heard every word, and was staring at him with a very confused and shocked face. Jaden looked back in embarrassment, but then shook his head, and cleared his throat. "Listen, lex. Like Yubel just explained, while I was trying to heal you, something unexpected happened, and we think we know why. So, I'm going to tell you everything I know, but I need you to do me one thing: I need you to trust me. After I tell you, you can shout at me, hate me, or even hit me, but if what you said earlier was true, then right now, I'm going to tell you everything, with no exceptions, but to do that, I need you trust me just this once. Can you do that?" he explained, then asked.

Alexis stared at him for a bit, still shocked and frightened, but after hearing his words, she swallowed her fear, and steeled her heart. "Alright Jaden, I'll hear what you have to say," she said as calmly as she could.

"_Well, I guess that'll have to do,_" he thought, while nodding at her. "Alright Alexis, here's what happened," he said, then he began recounting the events leading up that point, ensuring that every detail was fully explained. While doing so, deep down, he had hoped that Alexis would understand, but most of him knew that it was probably better to start packing his bags.

* * *

**Part 2 **

Jaden and Alexis sat down in silence for several minutes, both still reeling from the revelation. Jaden had explained everything that happened as calmly as he could to Alexis; that he had seen her in her unconscious state, that using Yubel as a link, he was able to transfer some of his powers to her, how that had worked, and her injuries had mostly healed. He then explained the critical point in their conversation; how she got her powers. He explained that, based on what he had heard (from Yubel), it was a side effect of the transfer, that he had made her more spiritually aware, and that, she could see duel spirits.

After a few more minutes of silence, Alexis finally spoke up. "I guess that I've joined the club now, huh?" she commented, then turned to Jaden. "Chazz and Jesse, I've always seen you talking about spirits with them. Can they see then too?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "though they handle it differently. Chazz mostly tries to ignore them, while Jesse more accepting of the fact, kinda like I am. I guess that's one of the reasons that we hit it off so well back at the academy."

"I see," she said. Jaden then looked at Alexis, his face full of remorse and guilt, but before he could speak up, Alexis said, "Jaden, please stop apologizing. I think I get what you're trying to say, but please don't say it like that." She paused, then suggested. "For now, why don't we review what happened? We can discuss our next move after that."

After getting a nod from Jaden, the two of them quickly went over what happened one more time. "So, long story short, Yubel possessed me and gave me some of your powers, which in turn, gave me the ability to see duel spirits?" she asked.

"That's the long and short of it," he replied.

Winged Kuriboh then appeared from behind Jaden's head, and flew over to Alexis. Alexis looked at Kuriboh for a second, then smiled and began cuddling and petting the spirit. Kuriboh closed it's eyes in happiness, while saying, "Kurri, Kurri!"

"Oh, you like this, do you?" she smiled, then focused on Jaden. "So Kuriboh is the spirit you talk to most of the time?"

"Pretty much, up until I reunited with Yubel," he answered.

"Is that so?" she asked with a smile.

"Lex, are you... cool with all of this?" he asked with concern, half expecting her to complain or rebuke him. Heck, he was even ready to get hit by her.

To his surprise, she simply smiled at him. "Actually Jaden, I'm quite happy right now!" she replied. Jaden simply looked stunned, as she continued. "True, I'm still in shock, but I feel like a barrier between the two of us has been lifted. You know, back at the academy, me and the rest of the gang used to look at you talking to yourself sometimes and honestly, well, we might have all thought that, you know, you might be a little crazy."

"_So that's what they thought of me back then. Some friends you turned out to be,_" he thought while sighing.

"_Well, no real shocker there. I mean, what did you expect? After all, to normal humans, we don't 'exist', and are treated as beings of the supernatural, so naturally to them, it would seem as if you were talking to yourself, or worse..._" explained Yubel by telepathy.

Alexis noticed the hint of disappointment showing on Jaden's face. "Sorry Jay, but that's the truth. Or was anyways, until Jesse showed up, and started doing the same things. Then there was the incident with professor Viper and the survival duels, which resulted in us getting dragged into an alternate dimension by..." She stopped, and looked up at Yubel, who noticed her and waved.

"It's alright, lex. True, Yubel caused all of us a lot of pain, but that was back then, when her mind was fueled by revenge, but now, she's turned a new leaf, and she's very regretful about what happened," said Jaden. In response, Yubel gave a small, apologetic bow.

Alexis slowly nodded, then continued. "Well, after all that, Chancellor Sheppard told us about your story, about your connection to the spirits, about your history with Yubel, and how the neo-spacians were born. It was actually right at that moment, that I found out that you and I live in totally different worlds, not literally, and after all that time together at the academy, I never truly understood you. Then there was the dark world incident, where we just fell apart, and me and the others... disappeared, before you corrected your mistake and saved us, and of course, our last year at the academy. All these times, I felt like you were taking your distance from us, that you carried a bigger burden then any of us, and that we, your friends, couldn't do anything to help, and when you left us on graduation day, that was essentially the nail in the coffin, or so I thought," she concluded with a dark expression.

"Lex, I..." he began, before she cut him.

"But now, I feel like I understand you a little better then before. Right now, I'm able to see the exact same things you can, to feel them, to sense them, and that a part of you is inside me. I feel like a wall between us is gone, and I feel like you and I have a connection," she finished, then went ahead and began patting Kuriboh.

After a brief silence, Jaden stood up. "Well, better go call Atticus and Mac. I'm sure they'll be ecstatic to see you all better," he said.

"Sure thing, Jay. That's a great idea. I'm sure that they're really worried about me," she replied. Jaden got up and began to walk to the door. As he reached the door, she called out to him. "Listen Jaden, let's finish our little, 'secret' chat later, okay," she said, winking at him.

"Yeah, sure thing," he smiled, then left the room.

* * *

After a few minutes, a crying and screaming Atticus rushed into the room. "LEXIIIII!" he screamed, as he ran over and began furiously hugging his sister, while sobbing.

"Calm down, Atty! You'll squish me!" she said, trying to loosen her brother's embrace.

Mac then rushed into the room, with Jaden in tow, then ran over and hugged her as well. "Alexis, I'm so glad you're okay. We were worried sick about you," she said, throwing Atticus off of her.

"Yeah, thanks Mac, but as you can see, I'm fine now," she explained, returning the hug.

Jaden watched the scene unfolding in front of him, with a satisfied and slightly jealous look. "_Man, Alexis is lucky to have such a great family. I wish I had siblings,_" he thought, then sighed.

"But damn, you really recovered fast! Yesterday, you looked horrible, like you could use a few days rest at least, but now you look as healthy as ever," commented Mac suspiciously.

"Yeah, I guess a good night's sleep really did the trick," she laughed, not mentioning what really happened. "_It's not like they'd believe me anyways,_" she thought.

"Yeah, maybe," said Atticus. "Or maybe, the thought of you being with your beloved boyfriend, caused you to rise up like a phoenix and... AUGH!" he said, before he was jabbed in the stomach by Mac.

"Atty, she's not in the mood for your little jokes. Understand?" she asked in a threatening tone. His body answered with a slow nod, then he backed down. "Jokes aside, Jaden," she said to him, "I think it's time we filled Alexis in on what was happening while she was out."

Jaden nodded, then he and Mac began explaining what happened after the duel with Fira, about Alistair Crowley, and his supposed plans. Oh right! Mac, did you get some new information about him?" he asked.

"Well yeah, of course I did. I actually forc... I mean asked that acquaintance of mine to cough up as much information he could find. At first, it seemed like there was nothing that we didn't know, nothing new or substantial, but then, he happened upon an underground site, which contained images of the good professor purchasing some artifacts that apparently belonged to an ancient king known only as the supreme king, which as Atticus tells me, is you're alter ego, Jaden," she stated. Everyone in the room looked at Mac in apparent disbelief, as she continued. "Now unfortunately, I couldn't get any accurate images of all of the artifacts. It seems that even on hidden, underground sites, Crowley is being as sneaky as he possibly can. So, you'll have to pay him a little visit while you're there and find out yourself, but I did find something interesting; it seems that when Crowley was hired by the academy to teach duel philosophy, he brought several students along with him. Students that were accepted as 'special case' students, because of their excellent dueling skills. Among the names of the students he brought with him, was the name of that Fira girl that attacked you the other night."

Jaden lowered his eyes a little. "Apparently, the group of students were so good, that within a year, they were already top dogs at the academy. What was even more interesting was this; right now, Crowley commands sixty of the academy's finest students, each faction of ten led by one of six 'special case' students, dubbed the 'elemental knights', and each of those leaders has a name that resembles or symbolizes an attribute from the duel monsters game. For example, Fira's name is associated with the FIRE attribute, though you probably already knew that, and yes, she's definitely one of the six leaders," said Mac.

"Let me stop you for a second. Though I probably know the answer to this question, I need to ask anyways: Why hasn't Sheppard done anything about this? I mean, if this group were the best in the academy, and working in something resembling a suspicious cult, shouldn't Sheppard at least take some action?" asked Atticus.

"And what action would that be, Atty?" replied Mac. "You see, the good professor hasn't done anything suspicious just yet. Every public action he has taken has been through perfectly legal means, not to mention the fact that he enhanced the reputation of duel academy greatly. If I were Sheppard, even I were suspicious of Crowley, I would have to wait until I find definitive proof, which by the way Crowley is handling things, is very difficult, a 'wait-and-see' mode if you will. Also, there's another bit of information I managed to get. When Pegasus began handing out the rare, next-gen decks, a considerable portion of those decks went to duel academy, with Crowley staking his claim on seven of those decks. That might not sound like much, but for the amount that the academy got, it is. I think that it's obvious who the decks were given to."

"I see. Six decks for six knights, and the 'caretaker' gets the last one. It actually makes a lot of sense," mumbled Jaden.

"Yeah, and the best part is that those so called knights, have not only beaten virtually at the academy, but they also boast a perfect record against the pros! Those are some hardcore duelists right there," she said.

"I'm pretty sure that Blair and Hasselberry had a field fay with those duelists," said Atticus. "Speaking of which, Blair never told us about these duelists, even though they joined the academy while those two were there."

"Maybe she didn't see anything suspicious, or felt like it was worth mentioning or she didn't really care. You know how she gets sometimes. Plus, we can also ask her later," suggested Alexis. "For now, I think we should just take it easy and relax. The trip is in a couple of days, so when we get to duel academy, I'm sure we'll have our answers..." She stopped, and noticed that Atticus and Mac were looking at each other, concern in their eyes.

They turned back to face Alexis, then Atticus spoke up. "Listen sis," he said, "Mac and I were talking and well, we've discussed the idea that we probably shouldn't go to the reunion." Alexis widened her eyes, as he continued. "You were just in a life-and-death encounter, and your body needs to recover from all the damage and fatigue, so we have determined that it's for the best not to head out to duel academy. I'm sorry lex, but this is for your own good."

Alexis turned to Mac, who silently nodded. She then looked towards Jaden for support, asking him to say something. Jaden thought for a second, then took a deep breath and spoke. "Listen Atticus, I understand your position and I'm probably not in a position to say anything, but Alexis's condition has improved, and I'm sure that by tomorrow..."

"I appreciate the optimism Jaden, but with all due respect, this is a family decision, and although I respect your opinion, I've made my choice," declared Atticus, while facing Jaden.

They both stared at each other, before they heard Mac say, "Wait Alexis, please lie down! You need to rest!" They both turned around , to see Alexis slowly rising from her bed.

"Brother, look at me!" she stated. "I'm perfectly fine. Sure, I'm still a little dizzy, my hand still stings, and my legs feel like jelly from all that rest, but those should all disappear by tomorrow. We've been planning this trip for weeks, and our friends our waiting for us. It's true that I got hurt because of Fira and her so called professor/caretaker, and if we go, we'll probably be put in danger again, but..."

"But nothing," he replied cutting her off. "That's exactly the point. That Crowley guy, or whatever his name is, is clearly setting a trap for Jaden, and it probably involves putting us, his friends, in harms way!"

"And what exactly about any of this is new?" she asked. "Like we usually do, we should stick together with our friend and beat this guy together!" she shouted. The two continued to bicker, Atticus in his usual calm voice, Alexis having raised her voice, clearly upset. All the while, Jaden was surprised by the seriousness of the argument. In fact, them arguing was news to him, at least not like this.

Mac slowly crept up next to him. "From your face, I'd say that you have never seen them argue like this before," she said.

"Yeah, I mean Atticus has always smiled or laughed, even when Alexis is scolding him or shouting at him. I just can't imagine Atticus as, you know, the serious type," he stated.

"Well, it might sound surprising to you, but Atticus is an older brother, and even he can get angry and protective sometimes. Though he never really shows it, probably because he is too carefree. To be fair though, I've never actually seen him argue with Alexis like this since the two of them were kids," she explained.

"Do you think we should stop them?" he asked.

"Well, normally, we should leave the room, and let them handle it their way, but..." she said, then looked at them, "I think we need to step in for this one, considering the circumstances."

Jaden sat down thinking about a way to solve this problem. Once he got an idea, he got up and said, "Let me handle this, Mac. I've got an idea that might work... I hope."

Mac smiled. "I was waiting for you to say that," she said. "Now hurry up and do it."

Jaden nodded, then walked up to the siblings. "Can I say something here, guys?" he asked.

"WHAT?!" they both shouted at him in unison.

Jaden began backing down due to the pressure, but he regained his composure and stood firm. "Um, I know that it's not my problem, or place to say something about your argument, but both of you are my precious friends, and I hate to see you fighting," he said, them turned to Atticus. "Atticus, I know you're worried about your sister, and as a brother, you're doing what you think is right. I'm not really a smart guy, so I probably can't say something meaningful to change your mind, but I will say this; if what you told me earlier is true, I want you to prove it to me right now, by putting a little faith in me," he smiled, then turned to Alexis. "And you lex, I know that deep down, you're aware that your brother's just trying to watch out for his dear little sister, so I think you should calm down a little, and think of things from his point," he explained. "Man, I wish I had siblings. Seeing you two kinda made me jealous."

The two of them looked at Jaden, then at each other, then started to laugh. "Huh, what's so funny?" asked a confused Jaden.

"Your pep-talk," she replied. "You really don't hold back, do you? For a guy who claims to be an idiot when it comes to these things, you sure know what to say at the right moment."

"That's true, but you also made a good point, Jay. To be honest, I was stalling for time, hoping you'd say something like that," said Atticus.

"Huh, you did what?" asked Jaden.

"You heard me, Jay. I was waiting for you to make a move. Do you honestly think that I'd even attempt to win an argument against Alexis? I'm kinda disappointed, Jay; I thought you'd have learned by now," he explained while sighing.

"Figures," said Alexis.

After laughing for a while, Mac stepped in and clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Alright everyone, I think Alexis is at her limit, so lets all calm down and take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow, we'll assess the situation further, and maybe do some Christmas shopping, and if Alexis can get through a whole day without an incident, we'll go to the reunion. Sound good?" she asked.

"Yes," they all responded without hesitation.

"Then it's decided," she said. "Alright Atty and Jaden, lets give Alexis some room."

Atticus and Mac left the room, and as Jaden was about to do the same, Alexis called out to him. "Wait, Jay."

"Hm, is something wrong Lex?" he asked.

She started to say something, but stopped, shook her head and smiled. "It's nothing serious. We can talk about it later. Sorry to keep you," she said.

"Sure thing," he smiled. "Well, get some rest, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you," she replied, then he left closing the door behind him.

Alexis lay down in her bed in silence. "_What a weird week it's been,_" she thought. "_Jaden shows up in my life again, and he's gotten better at dueling. He's gotten a little manlier too, though he's still as childish as ever in some areas. Then Bridge turns up, and she claims to like Jaden, though I think she's just trying to tick me off. And then, there's Fira." She frowned, as she remembered the girl with the fiery red hair, then looked at the bruise on her right hand. 'She poisoned me and messed me up pretty bad, and if Jaden hadn't shown up, she would have literally burned my face right off. She's a dangerous duelist, but with that new deck I got from Mr. Pegasus, I should be able to win. Speaking of which..._"

She slowly moved her hand over to the right nightstand, and turned on the lamp on top, then opened the drawer on the top and pulled out a bright, golden deck box. "_This deck is a result of my selfishness, and my desire to be with you, to stand by your side Jaden. I had to really pressure poor Chumley into designing all of the cards in this deck._" She paused, then put the box back in, closed the drawer, and turned off the light. "_I'm sorry Jaden. I promised to tell you everything, but you'll ahve to forgive me for hiding this. This deck is a secret that I must keep from you, at least until you and I..._" she blushed, then shook the thought from her head, and closed her eyes.

* * *

**Part 3**

A few hours had passed since Alexis had woken up. It was currently early in the evening, and the night had come in rolling fast. Jaden had sat down with Atticus, and the two of them chatted for a while, the highlight of which was Atticus promising Jaden that during the ride to duel academy, should they go, he was going to make good on his promise to teach Jaden about romance and women. After dinner, Jaden decided to turn in early, and so there he was, lying down on his bed, with Yubel standing right next to him.

"Hey Yubel?" he asked.

"It's alright Jaden, I know what you want to ask," she said. "You want to confirm if I truly did not know about the side effects of the transfer, and if I actually did, you want to ask why I kept it from you. Also, you're still doubting that what you did, wasn't worth the risk involved. Is that right?" she asked to confirm.

"Well, that's most of it," he said.

"Well then, let me answer your questions. Did I know about the side effects? Well, yes and no. I'll be honest with you; there was never a case where the Supreme King transferred his powers, although its not like he never tried. As for the side effects, there were some projected ones when they were attempting to study the King's power, although none of them mentioned the ability to see spirits, so yes I knew and no I didn't. As for why I never told you about the side effects, like I said, they were just predicted ones, and not even they knew about any confirmed side effects," she explained.

"Well, I thought as much,"he commented.

"Now, as to your doubts, it's all up to you Jaden. In my opinion, the 'accident' was a blessing in disguise, though I won't explain why to you, until you can get over your dense personality," she said.

"Blessing? It seems more like a curse to me? What if she can't handle duel spirits, or gets attacked by wild spirits? What if she becomes a host of darkness, because of that? Even if she seems like she's accepted it, I'm sure that she's just holding in her pain and fear inside, for my sake. I... I..." he complained, clenching his fist.

"Oh, for god's sake! Jaden, you dense oaf. No matter how many discussed this today, you're still held back by fear. Honestly, it's getting tiring for me too. This is probably the tenth or so time I've called you 'dense' in the past few days, and it's getting really repetitive. You know what, why don't I let you figure thinks out for yourself. As for me, I'm out," she ranted, then sighed and disappeared, leaving Jaden to his thoughts.

Jaden just stared blankly for a while. "Man, that's pretty rare. This is only like the fourth time she's gotten pissed off at me since we fused together. She's right about one thing, though; I have to use my head to figure out what's going on, even if I'm not as smart as a lot of people I know," he thought. He lied down in his bed, and begun to gather his thoughts, but found that at times like these, he'd rather be under the stars, as to him, the vastness and beauty of space helped him think straight. So he asked Atticus to take him to the roof, saying that he wanted to enjoy the stars, and Atticus, although finding his friend's request bizarre, not to mention a death sentence due to the cold weather outside, happily obliged. After borrowing a futon and pillow from him, he made his way up.

Although it was almost the start of winter, the night was a little warmer then it usually was, though it was still cold enough to force Jaden into setting up his futon as quickly as he possibly could. As soon as he finished, he dug in head-first to escape the chills. Once he had finished settling in, he began staring deeply at the stars, the entirety of space sucking him into a world of his own.

"Alright, let me summarize what happened so far," he thought. "Since I got back to town, I met up with Atticus, who invited me to crash at his place. Then I met Alexis again, and she was mostly the same, yet at the same time, more mature. Still, there are some things I don't get. When I told her the story about my trip to the amazon, she got really pissed when I told her about that amazoness girl, and she was just as pissed when I asked her about her love life, if not more ticked off then before. After we reconciled at the arcade, she clung to my arm right after I'd won our little competition. Usually, only lovers do that, but we're not like that. So, why did she do that? She also seemed to give out a smile every time I said I was single. Then, Bridget came to visit, and from what I'd heard, the two of them parted ways on bad terms, after they got into an argument over a boy, and since it's definitely not Atticus, then... could it be me!"

He stopped, then shook his head. "No there's just no possible way that's true, right?" he thought in denial. I mean, after that I asked her out to that fancy restaurant, and she was pretty happy about it, not to mention that she even dressed-up heavily for the occasion. Then, on the bridge, before I opened that envelope, the last words she was trying to say sounded like 'love', but it was muffled. Finally, when she awakened her spiritual powers, she seemed.. happy with it, like she didn't mind, and in fact, she welcomed and embraced these powers."

He stopped, and began to put two and two together. "Does that mean that she... loves me?" he thought. "It's the only explanation; that she really cares for me... as a friend. I mean, there's a chance that it's the other type of love, and I really hope that it's that, but... ACHOO!"

A sneeze dragged him out his thoughts. "Man, I was so immersed in thinking, that I totally forgot that it was freezing outside! Better head back before I catch a cold. I'll just have to ask Alexis about it later in private. I just hope that it's what I think it is," he said to himself, then picked up the futon, and raced back to his room.

* * *

The following morning, after a hearty breakfast, and after making sure that Alexis could move around properly, they planned the day ahead of them. Everyone was astonished at the rate that she had healed. The bruises on her hands and chest were almost non-recognizable, and she was moving around as if nothing had happened. Jaden felt a little relived; he had held lots of doubts, but most of those doubts had cleared up.

At the mall, the friends bough a lot of Christmas presents for themselves and their families, Jaden pigged out at the food court, and both the guys and girls got to enjoy a 'guys day out' and 'girls day out' respectively. Atticus tried to teach Jaden about how to properly smooth talk the ladies, to no avail, seeing as Atticus was slapped three times. Mac and Alexis talked about duel academy, and Alexis agreed to give Mac the tour while there. After wrapping up Christmas shopping, the two groups gathered at the entrance, and got into the car.

They decided to head over to Jaden's house. Once they got there, Jaden dashed inside, grabbed his stuff, greeted his parents, took his invitation from them, as well as some other necessities, and rushed back. They then headed back to the Rhode's house, where each member secretly wrapped his/her presents, then went to bed.

* * *

On the morning of the journey, Jaden got up earlier then he expected. He was feeling two different emotions welling up inside of him, both of which had forced him to forgo a lot of sleep. One one hand, he was excited; after all, he was going to meet everyone he knew back then at the academy. Chazz, Syrus. Aster, Hasselberry, and even Blair, he was going to see them again. He was going to meet Chancellor Sheppard, and swap stories. He was going to get scolded comically by Prof. Crowler. He was going to meet with the next generation of duel academy,there, and have some epic battles.

On the other hand, and on a related note, he was anxious, and most of it was because of Crowley and his elemental knights. Like Mac had said, Fira was an elite duelist, and if all the knights were just as good as she was, how was he going to win? How would he beat them if they were better then her? If they decided to threaten the academy, how would he deal with them? Could he stop them?

Both emotions whirled around in his head, and he lay awake until just after dawn, where he heard a knock on the door from Alexis. "Jaden,, you up?" asked Alexis.

"Yeah," he simply replied.

"Alright, well get dressed. We're leaving for the harbor in an hour to catch the ferry," she stated, then left. Jaden could hear the sounds of her footsteps fading away as he lay. As he slowly got up, and headed to the bathroom, Yubel appeared above him, and as he finished his preparations, he noticed that Yubel was simply staring blankly, so before he left the room, he decided to break the silence.

"What's on your mind, Yubel?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, nothing Jaden. I was thinking about what lies ahead. But you shouldn't concern yourself with me right now; you should join your friends and head to the harbor before they ditch you," she replied.

"Well, alright, if you say so," he said, then picked up his bags stepped out of the room.

As Yubel followed Jaden, she thought, "I have a bad feeling about this trip, but I'm sure Jaden will solve it. I mean, he always does."

* * *

At the Domino City harbor, a somewhat large ferry was boarded at the docks. What distinguished it from the rest, was the academy's logo engraved onto the sides of the ferry. Normally, a trip on this luxury cruiser would cost quite a bit, but because Jaden and the others had invitations from duel academy, the ferry trip was fully covered. As they reached the boardwalk, bags in hand, a sense of excitement engraved itself into the hearts of each and every one of them. For Jaden and Alexis though, something else occupied their thoughts entirely. For Jaden, it was the elemental knights and what they were planning for duel academy. For Alexis, it was her newfound powers, and what was going to happen from now on. She also thought about Fira, and how she would handle her, when the two crossed paths again.

Once they got to the gate, an attendant on standby checked their tickets, and welcomed them aboard. "Alright, one week of nothing but fun, fun, fun!" exclaimed Atticus. "Let's take a dip first!"

"Atty, it's the middle of December. Why on earth would you want to use the swimming pool?" asked Mac in the nicest way possible.

Atticus turned and faced her with a mischievous smile. "Why, who said anything about the swimming pool?" he asked. "I'm talking about the Jacuzzi, the sauna, the hot springs. You know, a hot water dip. Come on, I'm not that big of an idiot," he said.

"Fine, do whatever you want," said Mac while sighing. She then turned to face the others. "Well, you two should go find your rooms, and take it easy for a while. We won't arrive at duel academy till late in the afternoon, so until then, knock yourselves out." Then, she turned and left.

"Well Jaden, I'm going to unwind a bit, so I guess I'll see ya later," she said, then walked away.

Jaden then made his way to his room. When he stepped inside, he wasn't as surprised as he was when he saw his room at the Rhode's household. This room was just as big as the one in his house, only fancier or more luxurious, though he didn't care either way, as he was perfectly fine sleeping on a mattress in the middle of nowhere.

"Well, what now?" he asked himself.

"Maybe you should catch up on your sleep," suggested Yubel.

"Yeah, I guess a relaxing nap will do me good," he said while yawning. Then he took off his shoes, and dozed off, the gentle waves of the ocean helping to ease his tension, and to help rid him of his fatigue. It was finally time to head back to the place where it all began.

* * *

At the Chancellor's office, Chancellor Sheppard sat down at the office, his eyes closed and his fingers crossed. Professor Crowler stood next to him, staring nervously at the door. A couple of minutes later, a man with dark-red hair, being assisted by a jewel-encrusted cane, stepped into the office. The man was in his 60's, but looked to be in the prime of his life. He walked up to the desk, then asked, "Chancellor Sheppard, you wanted to see me today?"

"Yes Alistair. The reunion starts tomorrow, and I just wanted to make sure that you and your students are ready. Our guests all arrive by the early evening, and I'm really hoping that your students are ready to greet them," stated Sheppard.

"Why, yes dear chancellor. My students are very ready to go, and they look forward to what the best and brightest alumni of the academy have to offer. As for the program, I received it by email, and find no fault with the outline. However..." he said then paused purposefully.

Sheppard looked at him, and replied, "However?"

"Chancellor, if I may, there is one change I would like to have made, a suggestion if you will," said Crowley.

"And that would be..." said Sheppard.

"Oh, don't play coy with me, chancellor. We both know that this 'alumni duel showdown', if it's the right name, that you organized is going to be exciting and thrilling, however, I would rather have one of my own students participate. It would help boost morale, provide a test of strength for my students and is good, free publicity for them. After all, some of my students are already world-class, and helped raise the name of this already glorious academy. I have been pitching and voicing my opinion for over a month now, to no avail. In fact, I feel like you're refusing my suggestion on purpose, "said Crowley, with a small smile that masked his intentions.

"You! How dare you accuse the chancellor of..." began Crowler, but was stopped by the wave of a hand from Sheppard.

"I understand your point, Alistair. In fact, if this were any other situation, I would have agreed to your proposal. But this duel is special. Both duelists have a reason to take center stage. One is a fan-favorite here at the academy, the other, I owe a great debt to, and is an exceptional duelist in his own right. It's not that I don't believe in your students, it's just that this means more to the duelists involved then you think. Plus, to be honest, I think that you aren't completely being honest with me," explained Sheppard, also with a small smile.

The two stared at each other for almost a minute. Crowler could feel the overwhelming tension in the room. Crowley then sighed. "Well, this conversation is getting us nowhere. I apologize for my harsh words, dear chancellor. My students are ready, so don't you worry your bald head over it. If that is your final decision, then I won't argue with it," said Crowley.

"Of course Alistair. Thank you for your understanding, and I wish you a good day," said Chancellor.

"The same to you, chancellor," replied Crowley, then he left the room.

Crowler collapsed on the floor. "I thought the tension was going to kill me!" he shouted while panting heavily.

"Well, that was interesting..." said Sheppard, before looking at Crowler. "Listen professor, I need you to go tell the other professors and spies to keep a close eye on our dear star professor. I have a feeling he's about to do something. His type always is," he ordered.

"Y-Yes sir!" came the panicked reply from Crowler, then he raced out.

As Sheppard was thinking about what Crowley was planning, the said professor was walking back to the obelisk blue dorm, where he was staying. On the way, he said, "Noir, report."

From one of the nearby trees, a young teenage girl with short, jet-black hair emerged. Her body was concealed with a cloak. "Sir, your shipment has arrived, and is waiting for you at the base," she reported.

"Excellent! Everything is going according to plan! Now then, go get some rest, and tell the others to prepare themselves for tomorrow. It's going to be a big day, after all," he ordered excitedly.

"As you will," she replied, then disappeared.

"Well, my dear chancellor, I tried to do it the easy way. After all, I hate pointless violence, but you've forced my hand," he said to himself, then gave a big, evil smile. "The hard way it is then!"


	13. Welcome (back) to Duel Academy

**Hey everyone, it's been a while. I know I said that I won't bother with an intro or ending for the for the next 4 chapters, but in my absence, I needed to. Sorry I've been off the grid, as opposed to what I've said. I actually got a little job I had to take care of, that lasted a couple of months. It was unexpected, and it was depressing as hell, though rewarding at the same time. Expect the next chapter in a much, MUCH shorter timeline, and pray that nothing else happens!**

**This is the longest chapter so far, and it will include my attempt to not only clear some plot points we missed in the original series, but also to integrate some of the manga storyline into this one. I hope it worked, and I'm very excited to find out from all of you. **

**A big thanks to my editor, Wildheart, for helping me get this chapter out as quickly as I could. Please check him and his stories out! **

**Also, if any of you are or know an artist, preferably someone with a little experience drawing anime/manga based artwork, can you please message me, and let me know. He/She doesn't have to be a veteran, and I don't want them working all the time; a few drawings once a month is fine. I am willing to compensate them personally for their work anyway I can. Just make sure that:**

**a) They've read the story, and understand the plot. Let me say now that I am not asking them to like it, only to understand it.**  
**b) I want them to draw a character or scene from the story, to see if they've got it down. I know I might be asking a lot, but I need proof that the artist knows what he/she is doing. It doesn't have to be perfect, and it doesn't have to be GX spot on. Preferably, I want them to draw a new character of mine.**

**Please help me enhance the experience of this story for you, my faithful readers. Thanks in advance!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Welcome (back) to duel academy

**Part 1**

At around 3 PM the same day, the ferry had already crossed over half the distance to duel academy. Although the ferry was huge, other then the captain and the cabin crew members, there were only four guests on-board. Usually, the ferries heading to and from duel academy were loaded with passengers this time of year, with students heading home for Christmas holiday, and tourists taking in the sights, but the academy had booked this ferry specifically for today, so that any alumni, and their guests, heading to the reunion could travel to the island, should they choose to do so by sea. What the captain didn't expect was that only four people showed up at the docks. He felt like it was a waste of fuel and resources to transport only four people, but orders were orders.

One of the ferry's passengers, Jaden, had awoken from his nap (which had gone on way longer then he had expected, much to his chagrin), and was heading to the dining hall for a quick bite. From what he had gathered from crew members, Mac was on the deck, enjoying the view and sea breeze, Atticus was trying to sweet talk the captain into letting him sail the boat for a bit, and Alexis was in her room, so Jaden was going to be eating alone.

He sighed as he walked in. "Man, this boat trip is boring. Ships are supposed to be fun," he said to himself as a thought crossed his mind. "By the way, I wonder how everyone else is going to the academy. I thought everybody would take the ferry like us. Oh well, I'll ask 'em when I see 'em," he said, then sat down at his table, waiting for his order.

* * *

"Big brother, do we really need to travel with this guy? I mean, I don't really hate the guy, but..."

On the roof of the White Dragon hotel, two young men were waiting for the helicopter that would take them to their destination. The one who had spoken just now, had short, spiky light-blue hair, and wore a pair of glasses. The other was taller, and had long, dark-blue hair. In the dueling world, the two of them were known as the Truesdale siblings, Syrus and Zane. The two of them were waiting for a friend of theirs, who was heading with them to the duel academy reunion planned on the following day. He had offered to take them by chopper, instead of catching the early morning ferry.

"Patience Syrus, he'll be here soon enough," said Zane.

"But it's freezing up here! Plus, we didn't really need him. We could have taken the ferry like most people, and I really don't like the idea of owing a favor to that jerk..."

"For the record, pipsqueak, you'd never be able to pay up a favor from me, even if you worked your whole life," said a voice from behind, cutting into Syrus. The brothers turned around to see a very elegantly dressed young man, with spiky, jet black hair.

"Nice to see you too, Chazz," said Syrus sarcastically. "What, does wearing a suit make you even more of a prick?"

"Bite me, dumbass," came the indifferent reply from pro duelist, and former duel academy student, Chazz Princeton. Chazz had invited both Syrus and Zane to travel with him to the academy, seeing as they were both in the area, but mostly because he wanted to talk to Zane about an issue of interest. Behind him, his faithful attendant Chris followed.

"A warm welcome, to the both of you. The helicopter will be here in a few minutes, so on behalf of Mr. Princeton, thank you for your patience," she said while bowing respectfully.

"Y-Yeah," said Syrus bashfully, while blushing.

"Ha! You have no experience with girls. Honestly man, it's kinda pathetic that my top rival is actually blushing at the sight of a pretty girl. I mean, its not like its anything new; we meet fangirls all the time in the pro leagues. What, are you a virgin or something?"

"S-SHUT UP!", shouted an embarrassed Syrus. "You're the last one I want to hear that from! For someone with such a big mouth, you probably don't have any experience either!"

"Ha, shows what you know, shorty!" replied Chazz. "I don't need any other women in my life. Not when I have my dear, sweet Alexis by my side." Chazz began to fantasize about his (supposedly) potential future with Alexis, until Syrus jumped on top of him, and began pulling his hair.

"Yeah, well I'm also saving myself for my future life with Alexis, which'll be twice as good as yours. No, three times as good!" shouted Syrus, and from there, the two began bickering like a couple of five-year old children.

Zane and Chris watched the scene unfold in front of them, with Zane face-palming, and Chris laughing awkwardly. "You must have it hard, Mr. Truesdale," she commented.

"You have no idea," he said, as the argument between the two rivals dragged on.

"You're not worthy of her! She deserves someone with a proper income, and vast assets. Someone like a member of the Princeton family!"

"No, she'd rather be with someone who listens to her every need, and is a better duelist!"

"Yeah, okay. Remind of the last time you actually beat me, Syrus? Oh wait, it never happened!"

"T-that doesn't matter! I can beat you right now if I want to, hotshot!"

"Save it, dork. I'm not interested in dueling some loser. Why don't you go crying to your 'big bro'?"

"Well I... wait a second!" The argument ended as soon as Syrus had remembered an important detail.

"What's wrong, Syrus?" asked Chazz, confused.

"Yeah, I remember now!" exclaimed Syrus. "Hey Chazz, I forgot to tell you that Jaden's coming to the reunion!"

"What, he is?!"

"Yeah! I mean, he called like a few days ago, and told me that he was coming. I called everybody; Hasselberry, Jim, Blair, Aster, and heck, I even called Jasmine and Mindy, god knows why, but I forgot to call you. Now that I think about it, it was right after I read that article in that magazine, about how you crushed me in our last duel. I was super pissed at you that day. Maybe that's why? Yeah, that's gotta be it!" explained Syrus.

"WHY YOU LITTLE..." Chazz shouted, then proceeded to strangle Syrus. "Ya couldn't tell me something so important, cause ya lost a freakin' duel! Man, talk about immature! Why I oughta..."

"Alright, break it up boys," said Zane, stepping in between the two.

"Whatever," said Chazz indifferently, as he stepped away. "Still, I finally get to see Jaden again, huh? It's been a while, so I guess I could clear some of my busy schedule for him," he said selfishly.

"_Some schedule. All he's got planned is flirting with Alexis, 24/7,_" Chris thought, then sighed. In that instant, a helicopter appeared from above them, and landed on the nearby helipad atop the hotel. "Mr. Princeton, our ride is here. We better get moving if we want to make it by sunset" she said.

"Hm, oh right. Well guys, don't wait out in the cold. Come on, lets get rolling," declared Chazz. As they got in and took their seats, Chazz spoke up. "Oh, and Zane," he said, "I'm glad to hear that you're rejoining the pro leagues early next year, and I look forward to facing you. Hell, a win over you will spread my name even higher in the dueling world."

"Why, thank you Chazz. That's mighty kind of you," smiled Zane.

As the helicopter took off, and made it's way to the academy, only one thought occupied Syrus's mind. "_Well big bro, here we come._"

With different thoughts revolving around Jaden, the trio made their journey back to where it all began.

* * *

On a different helicopter flying over the pacific ocean, two individuals were exchanging dialogue on board. One had long, waist-length, blue hair, dark violet eyes, and was dressed in a long white robe. The other was a tall, handsome young man, dressed in a light-gray business suit, with similarly colored hair, and deep-blue eyes.

"Quite the lovely day we're having, isn't it Aster," said the man in the robe.

"Leave it to you to say something so cliched," said Aster Phoenix, one of the best pro duelists in the business.

After the graduation ceremony (which he didn't attend), Aster went on a long undefeated streak, taking out everybody who stood in his path, and winning almost every major trophy (surprisingly, he had avoided confrontations with Syrus and Chazz, which to them, was considered a godsend). Within a year, he had reached the pinnacle of success, and yet, his life felt empty and unfulfilled. So after meeting with his old friend and manager, Sartorius, he decided to take a break from the pro circuit, at the height of his fame. During his 'break', he decided to do something he had always wanted to do; help underprivileged and orphaned children learn how to duel. So, he began his quest, traveling to various parts of the world, from England to Kenya, from Japan to India, he toured the world, and in the year and a half he had worked towards achieving his goals, he had raised funds, found people and sponsors who shared the same vision (including Kaiba Corp. and Industrial Illusions), and eventually, created his own very little organization. At long last, he felt like he had found a new purpose in life.

It was on one of those days that the invite from duel academy came into his hands. At first, he considered declining the invitation, seeing no reason to be present there, but a few days prior to the current time, he received a call from Syrus Truesdale, telling him that he had gotten a call from, of all people, Jaden Yuki, a man whom Aster considered a friend and rival, and a man that he hadn't seen in years. Syrus informed him that Jaden was coming to the event, which was sweet music to his ears, and he instantly accepted the invitation, then informed Sartorius, who was attending as a special guest, and the two began their preparations, leading up to the present time.

"Duel academy, huh? How long has it been?" wondered Aster.

"What are you saying, Aster? We were there a few months ago, promoting our organization. You even had a few friendly duels with those elite students, and took plenty of pictures with fans. It was an interesting experience," said Sartorius.

"No, not like that. I meant since I attended the academy as a student, you know, with Jaden and his merry gang of friends. Well, I was a part of that gang for a while, so I can't complain," explained Aster.

"Ah yes, those days. Must have been fun for you, though I cannot say the same for myself, all things considered. You must have had some of the best days of your life there," said Sartorius.

"Oh, what's this? Is that a hint of jealousy I detect from you? Wow Sartorius, didn't think it was possible," said Aster sarcastically.

"Hm, I wonder," answered Sartorius calmly, not falling for Aster's teasing.

Aster sighed. "Man, nothing seems to faze you. It's like you're a machine or something," said Aster, giving up.

"Jokes aside, I believe that Jaden coming back to the academy is not exactly a good omen," said Sartorius with a serious face.

"What do yo mean by that?" asked Aster.

"Well my divination powers aren't as they used to be, as I am sure you're well aware, but I can still sense these things. I feel like a great shadow has engulfed the academy, wrapping itself around it, and when I heard that Jaden was coming to the reunion, out of curiosity, I decided to have a look through my tarot cards, and well... the result did not bode well for Jaden. I can't really explain it properly, but based on my senses and the tarot result, I feel like Jaden's arrival on the island will mark the start of another fierce battle between the forces of good and evil," explained Sartorius.

"Wow, ominous," replied Aster. "And? What tarot card did you draw or predict for Jaden?"

"I'm afraid I can't, or rather, would not like to say at this point. Please understand, my friend," said Sartorius with a grim expression.

"Well whatever it was I'm sure it's just superstition. If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much. This is Jaden we're talking about. He'll be fine. Plus, he has a positive track record against your predictions so far," said Aster confidently.

"Let us hope you are right, my friend."

The two sat in silence for some time, before Aster spoke up. "By the way Sartorius, how's Serena doing these days? Heard she's started up her own company."

"Oh yes, my dear sister. It seems her fortunes about love have been quite accurate, and a lot of couples have thanked her for her services and for bringing them together, so she decided to set up her own little shop. Funny, I thought I told you this before. Anyways, I wish her all the best, though I wish she could find a lover of her own. Ironic, isn't it; she can help anyone fall in love but herself. As an older brother, this worries me quite a bit, especially since none of us are getting any younger," sighed Sartorius.

"Hey, I wish her all the best too. Send her my regards next time you see her," said Aster.

"Thank you, Aster. I'm sure she'll be thrilled," replied Sartorius with a smile.

Aster felt a little guilty after seeing Sartorius smile. "_Geez, keeping a secret is harder then I thought,_" he thought. "_I'm sorry, Serena. I want to tell him, but I just can't find the right opening. It's just... hard, given our circumstances, not to mention, awkward. I don't know what he'll think or say once he finds out. I mean, he looks like he'd be okay with it, and yet, I'm not so sure. You'll have to forgive me, because I have to keep this secret bottled up for a little while longer._"

"Something on your mind, Aster?" asked Sartorius.

"Not really. Just thinking about what I'll say to Jaden when I see him again," replied Aster in a cool manner.

"Hm, that is quite the dilemma indeed. But I think that being yourself should suffice, don't you? Just interact with him like you always had in the past," pointed out Sartorius, then he turned to look out the window.

"_Phew! Managed to fool him, for now. As for that, well... I'll worry about that later. For now, Jaden has my undivided attention,_" thought Aster with a smile, as he enjoyed the scenic view from the chopper.

* * *

"Well mate, I've hired a pilot to fly us there. No more cramped seats for us," a man in a cowboy hat said to his friend. He had bandages over one of his eyes, and he was carrying a sleeping crocodile on his back.

"Lets hope so. I'm as hungry as a tyrannosaurus at lunch time," replied his friend. he was a young man with tanned skin, dressed in a military-colored shirt and jeans, with braided hair and a yellow bandanna wrapped around his head.

"Patience, my dino-obsessed mate. Our little sheila will be here soon, and then we can plan our next move."

"But Jim, her flight arrived hours ago, and there's still no sign of her. Either she's busy powdering her nose, or she's way slower then an Apatosaurus!" complained the man's friend, Tyranno Hasselberry.

The man with the crocodile on his back was known as Jim "Crocodile" Cook, currently one of the world's foremost experts on ancient historical and archaeological sites, and Australia's top duelist. Since heading back to Duel Academy's south branch, he managed to top his class with ease, and graduated with distinction, with a future in the pros all but assured. However, he declined the offer to join the pros when it was presented to him, wanting instead to head back to his roots, and began working at archaeological sites to conduct studies on ancient cultures and histories. He began as a simple on-site aid specialist and assistant, performing simple, office-based tasks, while conducting research in his spare time, on the culture the team was trying to dig up. Eventually, he began to provide useful info to the digging teams, and slowly began climbing his way up the ladder, until almost a year after his graduation, he finally garnered enough trust and displayed enough skill to lead his own team. Slowly, his accomplishments began to pile up, and his name appeared in several history and archaeological magazines across the world.

It was on one of those trips that he caught up with an old friend and colleague of his, Hasselberry. Hasselberry had graduated from the academy, and was ready to devote his career to his passion and one of his major goals in life: finding dinosaur bones. He met Jim on an excursion in southern Mexico, where Jim was digging around for an ancient Mayan temple that had never been found before, but theories and rumors had speculated that it was in that area, while Hasselberry was looking for the bones of a lost species of pterodactyl. After catching up, the two of them decided to work together as co-leaders, with Hasselberry directing the team, and Jim providing information and technical support, and after a couple of months of digging, they managed to unearth ruins from the ancient temple, though Hasselberry never found what he was looking for. In spite of that, the two of them liked working with each other and they both felt that there was some great synergy between them, and so, the two of them decided to make their combination permanent, with Hasselberry joining Jim's team as his right-hand man.

"Come on, can't I get a little bite? It'll be a quickie, honest," pleaded Hasselberry.

"Look mate, I get it. You're famished, and so am I, but you and I both know that we have to wait for our friend. Plus, you haven't seen her in like what, a year or so, so I'm sure you're eager to meet up with her again. Ain't that right, mate?" asked Jim.

"Well yeah, but she'd been keeping us waiting for a while. Fine, let's wait a bit more," sighed Hasselberry, as he waved his arms in the air, as if giving up.

"Not what I meant, mate. I mean, you do like her, don't you? So seeing her again must mean a lot to you, ain't that right mate?" asked Jim, half-teasingly.

"Well... I mean... it's not really like that... yeah, I can't deny that," stuttered an embarrassed Hasselberry. "But she's love with big bro Jaden, so I've more or less given up."

"That's not the way I saw it in your room last week," teased Jim.

"H-HEY! I thought I told you to keep that a secret that you would never talk about!" replied a flustered Hasselberry.

"Sorry mate. Took my teasing a little too far," apologized Jim. "Jokes aside, you got the call from good ol Syrus, didn't ya?"

"Yeah, and I still can't believe it. All I know is that we finally get to see big bro Jaden again. I can't wait," said Hasselberry excitedly.

Jim smiled. "Yes, I get to say my mate again. It is quite exciting," he said, then frowned. "But I'm afraid its not all wallabies and koalas."

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Hasselberry.

"Remember that person who requested our services about six months ago?" asked Jim.

"Hm, oh yeah. It was one of my old teachers from the academy, Crowley I think his name was," pondered Hasselberry.

About six months ago, Professor Crowley approached the duo at a digging site just off the southeastern coast of China. He introduced himself as a philosopher, interested in the ancient history of a certain king, and that Jim, Hasselberry and their team, were excavating for a few hidden, mystical artifacts that might have once belonged to this mighty king. While flattering the two, he requested that these artifacts be sold to him, and placed under his supervision for further study, with a promise of a hefty price as a reward, more than any dealer or museum would pay for these kinds of artifacts. Hasselberry, having taken classes with the professor during his final year, initially agreed given the professor's reputation, but Jim was hesitant. After all of the experiences he had, he was very skeptical about certain types of people, not to mention that something about the professor rubbed him the wrong way. He discussed it with Hasselberry, and after a long debate, they declined the professor's office, saying that the artifacts would be donated to the history museum in Domino City for further study. Surprisingly, Crowley had accepted that fact quite easily, which reinforced Jim's suspicions, since Crowley seemed very persistent in getting his hands on them.

In the end, the artifacts were fully excavated and donated to the Domino museum as planned. However, one month later, Jim's suspicions were proven to be true, when he found out that Crowley had purchased the artifacts from the museum for a huge price, using his social and world status for extra effect. It was at that moment that Jim realized that Crowley was planning something at the academy, but he wasn't sure what. The months passed, and both Jim and Hasselberry received invitations to attend the duel academy reunion, and about a couple of weeks after that, Syrus called, informing them that Jaden, who they had not seen in a long time, was attending the reunion. For Jim, that was the final piece of the puzzle. He believed that Crowley was setting up something sinister for Jaden, and while he didn't know exactly what it was, but it had something to do with the artifacts they had uncovered, and Jaden's origins as the supreme king.

"Oh look, she's finally here," said hasselberry happily, breaking Jim's line of thought. Jim looked up to where Hasselberry was pointing, and he saw their friend, Blair, running over to them. She had long, flowing purple hair, and was dressed in a cute, white one-piece dress. The thing that shocked the duo the most, though, was the fact that she had grown up quite a bit.

"_She's probably even taller then Syrus now,_" thought Jim with a smile.

"Hey guys!" Blair greeted them with a huge smile.

"Heya Blair. Long time no see," replied Hasselberry.

"Yeah, it's been a while," said Jim.

"Yeah, it is. Hope I didn't keep ya!" she said.

"No, not at all. In fact, we were on our way to grab some grub, and thought you'd might like to join us. I've rented a plane with a pilot, so we've got some time to kill. That right, Hasselberry?" explained Jim.

"Y-Yeah, if you joined us, I'd be one happy dino!" exclaimed Hasselberry bashfully.

Blair smiled widely. "Sure, let's do it!"

"By the way Blair, what's with all the makeup?" asked Hasselberry.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm all dolled up for my sweet prince Jaden!" she squealed excitedly.

"Figures..." sighed a dejected Hasselberry.

Jim smiled at the scene in front of him. "_It's moments like these in life, that make it truly enjoyable,_" he thought, then frowned. "_I just hope that it can stay that way._"

* * *

"Thanks for waiting for me, Axel my man," said a cheerful Jesse Anderson to his colleague and friend, Axel.

"You should be. We're really running behind schedule here," replied Axel.

The two of them were traveling in a state-of-the-art, Kaiba Corp. yacht, which Axel had borrowed. The yacht was mission ready, and was equipped with the latest technology, allowing any passengers to deal with a multitude of situations. A day after he had separated from his teammates, Axel had requested to borrow one of the yachts, to continue monitoring the movements of darkness, and it was also around the same day that Axel had received his invitation from duel academy, for the reunion, slightly altering his plans. In the end, he decided to contact Jesse in Rio, whom he assumed had an invitation that he never got, and have him take a little 'break' from his vacation to join him on the journey to the academy. Currently, the two of them were closing in on the academy, having sailed at top speed.

"So, you reckon Jay's gonna be there?" asked Jesse.

"Oh, I don't think. I know he will," said Axel.

"Is it about that issue you told me about yesterday?" asked Jesse.

"Yeah, pretty much," replied Axel.

The day that Axel had gotten his invitation, he was called to Seto Kaiba's office for a secret briefing. Kaiba informed him of an elite professor that had joined the academy's ranks, and how he had asked Professor Sheppard to keep a close eye on their new philosophy professor, Alistair Crowley. Over the years, Crowley supposedly had been bringing in several artifacts to the academy, some big and some small, and had been hiding them in a secure location that not even Sheppard knew about. Every time Sheppard tried spying or keeping tabs on Crowley, he managed to give him the slip. After that, Crowley had gone quiet for the last couple of months leading up to the reunion event. It was at that time that Kaiba began to hear rumors about Crowley planning something big at the academy, and so, he wanted Axel and his team to thwart any plans that Crowley might unleash. During that briefing, Kaiba had also mentioned that one of his dragoons was acting as a double agent, spying on Crowley, which is how he found out about the artifacts. Unfortunately, the spy was not close enough to be able to disclose the location of Crowley's secret hideout and Crowley had begun to suspect the person in question, and thus Kaiba had decided to let the spy play the part, until the reunion, to avoid detection. Kaiba ordered Axel to rendezvous with the spy as soon as he got to the island. Axel immediately began making the necessary preparations, including gathering supplies, collecting information about Crowley's background, and of course, contacting Jesse. Originally, Jesse was supposed to meet up with Axel a couple of days before the reunion, so they can get to the island beforehand for a quick reconnaissance, but several delays at the airport caused a change in plans, and now, they were off to the academy.

"By the way, who is this secret agent of Kaiba's? I mean he, or she, is a dragoon, but is there anything else that you know?" asked Jesse.

"Nope, just that a dragoon is spying for him, and I was to meet that agent when I get there. Oh, and that the contact's name was 'Raven'," replied Axel.

"Wow, it's actually kinda interesting, though. A mysterious double agent, who becomes our eleventh-hour man, only to be taken down by the same person he betrayed! And who knows; maybe 'he' will actually be a cute 'she'! I mean, it's right out a manga! Ain't that right, Ruby?" Jesse said excitedly, then asked his little spirit partner, Ruby Carbuncle.

"Ruby ruby!" the spirit replied happily.

Axel sighed, then faced him. "By the way, I have to ask. Why are you so fixated on stories with damsels? I mean, no offense, but you never seemed to be the type to care about romance."

"Typical Axel," said Jesse sarcastically, while shaking his head. "It's true that I didn't care about romance all that much before, but come on, at one point in a man's life, he starts to crave for a woman in his life, especially one he can spend a lifetime with. You know, someone special, though personally, I think I've already found her."

"Oh, and is that really all there is too it?" asked Axel.

"Well, that and to clear up the misconception that I'm homo, and that Jay is my 'sweetheart'," sighed Jesse.

"Really? I thought that you two were perfect for each other?" asked Axel mockingly.

"Haha, you're just hilarious!" said Jesse sarcastically. "It's not that simple. I believe that Jaden's a great guy, and I believe that he and I share a deep bond, deeper then even the blackest abyss. I would call him my friend, my rival, my soulmate even, but I don't see him in a romantic light. But, I also admit that if Jay were a girl, I'd totally ask 'her' out."

"Guh!" Axel let out a surprised cough, and reeled back, almost losing his grip on the helm.

"Woah, easy there Ax-man! Don't wanna cause a crash in the middle of the sea!" exclaimed Jesse. "Look, maybe I should take the wheel, while you take a short nap."

"Yeah, well maybe I should... you know what, that actually sounds like a good idea," said Axel hesitantly. "Fine, you win Jesse. I'll take a nap, while you steer the ship, though I expect you to wake me up once we get close to shore," he warned.

"Sure thing, man. Just take a nap, and forget your troubles," said Jesse in a relaxed tone, as Axel went inside. Jesse sighed as he took the helm. "Man, why do we always have to deal with troublesome enemies? This Crowley guy, he seems really dangerous," he said to himself, before gazing out into the ocean. "You watch your back, Jaden."

"Ruby ruby!" squealed Ruby next to him.

"Yeah, you're right Ruby. I'm sure everything will be just fine."

* * *

Jaden burped as he stepped out of the dining hall, and made his way back to his room. "_Man, maybe I should really go something creative, or at least something that'll keep me from getting bored,_" he thought.

As he approached his room, he noticed that Alexis was standing right outside his door, a troubled expression on her face. "Oh Jay, there you are," she said, noticing him walking up to her.

"Yeah, just got back from chowing down. What's up?" he asked.

Alexis closed her eyes for a second in deep thought, then looked at Jaden with a determined face. "Jaden, I was hoping that you and I could continue our conversation from a couple of days ago. I hope that you've got some time to spare," she requested.

"Of course I do. Alright, let's talk," he said, then smiled.

And so, they both entered Jaden's room, both with determination in their hearts, and several things they both wanted to get off of their chests. Alexis's journey into the spirit world was about to officially begin.

* * *

**Part 2 **

"So how's it been so far? Do you feel weird anywhere? Has a spirit approached you yet? Have you actually seen one other then Yubel and Kuriboh?" Jaden bombarded Alexis with questions, both excited to talk about duel spirits, and concerned about his friend's well-being.

"Calm down, Jaden. You're getting a little worked up," said Alexis with a bitter smile. "I've been fine. The thought is still in my head, and I am a little worried about how I'm going to handle a situation moving forward, should it occur, but that's why I came to you, the spirit expert. And no, I have not seen, nor been approached by a spirit in a while, save for Kuriboh over here, and Yubel," she answered, while cuddling Winged Kuriboh.

The two of them were currently chatting in Jaden's room. A couple of days ago, Alexis had awakened her spiritual awareness and potentially her spiritual powers, and so she had come to Jaden to learn more about her circumstances.

"Jaden, listen. I need to be ready for anything that might happen, so I need you to tell me everything you know," she said, determination in her voice.

"Alright, lex. Where do we start?" he asked.

Alexis pondered for a bit, then said, "How about you start from the beginning. You know, back from when you first were aware of your powers."

"Well then, I'll have to start from back when I was a kid, back when I first met Yubel," he explained.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get started already" she declared intensely.

Jaden reeled back a little. "Hey lex, aren't you a little too excited for this?" he asked.

Alexis noticed this, and backed off while blushing and faking a cough. "Sorry Jay. Please, carry on," she urged calmly.

"_Weird,_" he thought. "Alright, I guess I'll start from when I was in elementary school..."

* * *

"Well, when I was in elementary school, my dad bought me my first duel monsters deck, and along with that deck, he got me a one-of-a-kind card, and I'm sure you know which one, Alexis," he said.

"Yubel," she replied, slightly narrowing her eyes. She had heard that story from the chancellor, but maybe Jaden's take on things would be more useful, and give her a more complete picture, or so she thought.

"Yeah, and as you might expect, I began to hear her voice. She told me that we were going to be the best of friends, and that she would always protect me from danger. At first, I thought that what she said was awesome, but then the 'incident' happened," he said.

"The 'incident'?" asked Alexis.

"I'm sure you heard about the fact that my parents were frequently out of the house, whether for their jobs, or on business trips, right?" he asked, and she nodded. "Well, when they were out of the house, I used to invite people to stop by and duel me. Friends, family, neighbors, babysitters, you name it, I made sure to invite as many as I could. I was happy for a while; after all dueling is so much fun, especially with those closest to you, but that all changed one day. I was dueling my childhood friend who lived close by. He was older then me, but he still helped care for me when my parents were out of the house, and I used to call him 'big brother'. During that duel, I tried to summon Yubel, but the summon was negated, and I lost the duel. I felt a little sad that I couldn't summon Yubel; she was my favorite monster back then, so he tried to cheer me up, telling me that I overreacted, that Yubel was too hard to summon, and that I should try to use a different tactic. I said that Yubel was my favorite card, but he indirectly insulted her, and well, Yubel snapped."

"And she put him into a coma, after hurting him, am I right?" she asked.

"Yeah, and when I went to visit him in the hospital, it wasn't any better either. As soon as I came in, she started to... hurt him again, and didn't stop no matter how much I told her to, until I left the room. After that, people started to come to my house less and less, all of them claiming that I was 'cursed' and stuff. I also didn't want to duel them for fear that Yubel would hurt them, or worse. At that point, I realized that Yubel was too overprotective of me, and that she had the concept of love all wrong. So when the Kaiba Corp. competition came rolling around, well, you know the rest of that story," he said.

Alexis nodded. The chancellor had explained to them about the Kaiba Corp. competition, how they were accepting applications for duel monster ideas, and sending them into space for an experiment, the same one that created the Neo Spacians. How Jaden had reluctantly sent Yubel with them, hoping that she could gain superpowers, and learn about proper love, though as she had seen before, it didn't work out completely as planned.

"After the whole competition, I tried to convince my friends to duel me again, but the damage was done. They were all scared of me, and it kinda made me sad and depressed, and so I started to avoid interactions with others, which in turn, caused me to want to abandon duel monsters, the game I admired and played all my life. I know, it sounds crazy coming from me, doesn't it? A guy who lives for dueling, suddenly wants to stop; it's unbelievable, right? My parents were worried too, and they took me to see the psychiatrist at the local hospital on their next day off. I wasn't too thrilled to meet a psychiatrist; I was convinced that she wouldn't know what was wrong with me, so right before we stepped into her office, I made a break for it. I was really frustrated and sad, so I thought about running away, and when I saw my chance, I took it. I decided initially to lay low in one of the hospital rooms, so I hid inside the first one I saw after rushing through several corridors, and that's when my life changed forever," he said.

Alexis stared intensely at him, mesmerized by his story. "And, then what happened?" she asked.

"Well, as it turned out, the room I was trying to hide in wasn't as empty as I thought it would be. Once I entered the room, I saw a young man lying down on the bed closest to the window. He had short hair, and wore glasses. I remember him looking at me, and asking me what I was doing in his room. I told him that I was trying to hide from something, so he asked me why I was hiding, and I didn't answer. He gently told me not to worry, that he was on my side, that I was his friend, but I still remained silent. He sighed, then while he was thinking of something, we heard a knock. I instantly jolted under his bed, and a lady walked in. She asked the guy how he was doing that day, and then proceeded to ask him a question:

"Well, off topic, did you see a young boy passing by? He was supposed to be in a session with me, and his parents are really worried."

I thought the guy was going to reveal my location to the doctor, but to my surprise, he said that he didn't see a kid like that today. She thanked him, and the second she left her room, he called out to me again:

"Hey kid, come on out. The coast is clear, you're safe now," he said.

I got out from under the bed, and asked him, "Why'd you help me? You have no reason to?"

"Ah, so you can talk," he laughed gently. "Well, I needed to earn your trust, right? I mean, I could have ratted you out, but where's the fun in that? So, have I earned it?"

I was surprised by the guy I saw in front of me. Even though I barged into his room, and acted rudely to him, he was still happy and forgiving, and in a very positive mood, despite being in worse condition physically. "I mean, I guess I could tell you," I said to him.

"Now, that's more like it. So, let's get started with our introductions," he said. His smile was so comforting, and I felt like I could him anything. I didn't know why; it was strange, like we had a connection of sorts, and in the end, I decided to trust him.

"My name's Jaden. Jaden Yuki," I said.

"Well, nice to meet you Jaden. I look forward to our little conversation," he said.

After I warmed up to him a little, I began to tell him my story bit by bit, including the parts about Yubel, and how I could see and communicate with her. I thought that he would mock me, or get scared and ask me to leave, but to my surprise, he was okay with all of it. In fact, he even explained some things to me, things that I was unaware of at the time. He told me that Yubel was a duel spirit, and I was lucky enough to be able to spot one. He then told me about his experiences with duel spirits, how he met his duel spirit, and how he had reacted to that. I'd tell you everything right now lex, but it would take too long, so I'll tell you after I finish this tale, if we've got some time, about the information and tips he told me. We chatted for a while, and after what seemed like an eternity, he told me that I had to go back to my parents, because they were really worried, and it wasn't right to cause them grief after everything they had done for me. I hesitated at first, but in the end, I decided to head back, and so I asked him if I could visit him again.

"Sure! My name's Koyo by the way. Koyo Hibiki, and I'm a master duelist. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

And that's how I first met the man I would soon call 'brother'."

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait!" Alexis shouted, cutting into his talk. "Koyo Hibiki? As in the Koyo Hibiki? One of the youngest and smartest duelists to ever get crowned with the pro league championship? A duelist so young and talented that he even beat Joey Wheeler, and whose only loss was to the king of games himself?"

"Man, you ask a lot of questions, Alexis," commented a surprised Jaden. "What, do you know him or something?"

"Of course, he was a dueling champion when I was just a little girl. Atty and I used to watch him duel on TV all the time, well until his health deteriorated, and he was admitted to hospital... oh," Alexis began recalling her old experiences, before realizing that what she knew matched with what Jaden had just said.

"Wow, so Koyo was that famous, huh! Would you believe me if I told you that I never knew he was that popular? I mean, I knew he was a great duelist, but the pro league champion... that's awesome!" shouted Jaden excitedly, stars in his eyes.

"Um Jaden, not to spoil the mood, but I think you should continue. I don't think we have much time until we get to the academy," urged Alexis.

"Oh right," he said, blushing. "Well, so as I was saying, I went back to my parents, and man were they pissed, but my mood had changed; I was happy, and even the doctor was shocked at the sudden change. At that point, the doctor just told me to get some rest, and that everything would work itself out."

"Sounds like an irresponsible doctor to me," commented Alexis.

"My parents asked me what happened, and I happily told them that I had found a 'big brother' I could rely on, and that he helped me out of my little slump. Starting from that point, I began to visit big brother Koyo in the hospital once a week, or whenever I could on off days. He and I chatted for hours about duel monsters and spirits. I also got to meet his sister Midori, who was just starting college at the time, and she was really strict but also really nice, to the point where I consider her my older sister. We did everything together; had lunch, did my homework, watch live duels, swap stories, and of course, no visit was complete without a duel, and man, I got crushed every single time, though if he is as big as a champion as you said he is, that makes way more sense now."

"The days passed by like that for a couple of years. Koyo was still in the hospital, apparently because extended activity caused him an unnatural increase in heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in quick fatigue and chest pains, or something like that; I never really got everything the doctors said. On one of those days, Koyo asked me to duel him, and while that was no different from normal, this time, Koyo was serious, and we both used his duel disks, which was weird considering we always dueled using mats for our own safety. Most of our duels were for fun, but this was different; he had an evil glare in his eyes, and he kept telling me that I had to win. I was scared, especially when the attacks started to seem real; the walls were tearing up, the beds were torn up, and the windows were shattered as a result. Big sis came in and tried to stop him, but he told her to back off, and that he had everything under control,"

Jaden remembered the events of that fateful day, a painful look painted on his face. Alexis looked at Jaden with both intrigue and worry. "_He must have been through a lot. This is only the second time I've seen Jaden give that type of expression, the first time was when we lost Jesse in that dimension. I still have nightmares about that time,_" she thought. "So, how'd the duel end?" she asked hesitantly.

"Well, sad thing is, I can't seem to remember that part," said Jaden apologetically. "For some reason, my memory is blank after big sis came into the room. Or maybe subconsciously, I just don't want to remember those painful moments. All I know is that I fell unconscious at some point, and when I woke up, big sis was taking care of me. She began to say how happy she was that I was awake, and I remember her hugging me quite a bit. She told me that I had won the duel, and that both Koyo and I fell unconscious right after. Koyo was still unconscious at the time. I asked big sis what had happened, and although she was hesitant, she told me everything. She explained to me that she knew about duel spirits from Koyo, that she was the only one who believed him, even between his closest friends and family, well until I came along of course. She told me that Koyo was being possessed by an evil duel spirit, but she didn't really know how or why. Finally, she gave me a message and a small wrapped present from Koyo, and told me that my parents were coming to pick me up very soon. Secretly, she also told me not to tell anyone else about this incident, not that anyone would believe me anyways. You're actually the first person I've told since that day, Alexis."

"I see..." said Alexis. "Are you sure you should have told me this? I mean, if that incident was supposed to remain a secret, why tell me?"

"What are you saying, lex?" asked a surprised Jaden. "I made a promise, didn't I? That I would tell you anything and everything. I think this falls under those categories, right?"

"Yeah, you did. I'm just... no, I'm happy you shared this me," she said, half pleased that Jaden was keeping his promise and trusted her, and half guilty that there was still one thing he could not tell him just yet, defying her promise.

"Anyways, my parents arrived several minutes later, and man, were they furious. They filed a complaint to the hospital, and made a big fuss over the supposed 'gas leak' that struck the hospital. Apparently, our duel had more of an effect on the hospital then I first thought at the time. My parents said that, for my safety, I would never be allowed to visit this hospital again. Of course, I couldn't accept that, so a week later and against my parent's wishes, I snuck out and headed back anyways, but when I got there, it turns out the hospital was being closed down for inspections, and no one was allowed inside until further notice. I asked one of the workers outside, and it seemed that all patients were transferred to the big central hospital in Domino. I was really sad, and as I began to head back, I heard a voice calling out to me. I turned around, and big sis was standing right there; apparently, she and Koyo had a hunch that I would come back, so she was on the lookout for me during this week. I asked her where Koyo went, and if he was okay. She told me that he was currently in a coma, and being treated in the intensive treatment ward at central. She told me to read the letter he left for me, as it woudl explain everything, since I would probably never see him again. I can't remember much after that, except that she took me home and spoke with my parents for a while, and that I cried quite a bit throughout. Those days were some of the happiest and saddest days of my life," he recalled.

"So, what happened to the letter and the present?" she asked.

"Well, the letter was an apology from Koyo about what happened. He said that a dark being possessed him, and the only way to free him was to beat him, the host, in a duel. he said that he trusted me to win, for both our sakes. He said that, while he'll still live, he would have to be taken into intensive care, and he may never duel again, so he entrusted all of his hopes and dreams to me, along with his deck, which was..."

"The gift," Alexis finished for him. "So, the elemental heroes you use were originally..."

"Yeah, his deck," said Jaden. "Well, sans Yubel and the Neo Spacians, of course."

"Wow, that's a lot of information to handle at once," she said. "So it was true that Koyo Hibiki retired from the pro leagues early due to health concerns."

"Yeah, and Koyo is one of the main reasons I duel the way I do. As for big sis, well we keep in touch regularly, though like you and the others, I haven't seen her in years," he said with regret.

"Okay, I think I understand a little bit more about spirits, both the good and the bad, but it still doesn't give me a clear picture about what I need to do. Anything else that could help me?" she asked.

"Yeah, there are those bits of information and tips that Koyo told me. There was also that other thing..." he began, until the door slammed wide open. The two of them jumped up, and looked up at the source, only to find Atticus standing at the door, a mischievous smile plastered on his face.

"Atty? What are you doing here?" asked Alexis.

"Well, I just wanted to let you both know that we're about two hours away from duel academy, and so I wanted to borrow Jaden for this last stretch of the journey, so I can fulfill my promise," said Atticus.

"Promise" asked Jaden, moving away from him little by little.

"Oh, don't you remember? Back before, I promised you that I would teach you about women before we went to the academy. Well now, I think it's time I did just that," said Atticus, as he slowly closed in on Jaden. "I just remembered our little promise while I was flir... I mean chatting with one of the crew," he said, noticing Alexis's cold gaze on him.

Atticus coughed deliberately. "Well in any case, Jaden you're coming with me. Sorry Alexis, but you can flirt later. Right now however... I'm taking Jaden! Bye now!" he shouted excitedly, as he quickly grabbed Jaden and dashed out of the room.

Alexis stared, confused at the turn of events, then sighed. "_I don't even know what's going on anymore,_" she thought. Then, she remembered that she was still holding Winged Kuriboh. She looked down, and saw that it was still on her lap, resting. She smiled at the sight, then picked it up gently, and stood up. "_Well, whatever. I guess I'll have a chance to talk to Jaden at the academy. For now, I guess I'll go enjoy the view from the deck._" Then she left the room, and closed the door.

* * *

**Part 3**

"Wow, what a nostalgic site!" said Alexis enthusiastically. She was currently standing on deck, enjoying the cold but soothing afternoon breeze. Almost two hours had passed since Atticus dragged Jaden to his room, to teach him about 'girls', and Alexis had been standing on deck since then. Slowly over time, duel academy began to appear within sight, and the sight triggered a nostalgic feeling within her. "So many memories on that island, some good, some bad, but I must admit that those were some of the best years of my life."

"So that's duel academy. It's a bit bigger then I thought it would be," said Mac, who stood next to her.

"It does give that kind of expression, doesn't it," said Alexis.

"Well, now's not the time for sentiments, at least not yet," said Mac. "I just spoke with the captain, and he said we should be arriving on shore in about fifteen minutes, so we should probably grab our luggage, and get ready to head out," said Mac.

"Okay, then I'll go to Atty's room and tell the boys..." began Alexis.

"Nononono," said Mac, cutting in nervously. "I'll go grab the boys. You should go get ready."

"But I don't really mind..." said Alexis, before backing off from the intimidating aura given off by Mac.

"Alexis, I will go get the boys. You should go to your room, and get your stuff. Okay," said Mac with an intimidating smile.

"S-Sure," said Alexis hesitantly, then she made her way to her room.

"Once you've gotten ready, meet us at the main lobby. We'll be waiting," Mac called out to Alexis, then quietly sighed. "_Sorry Lexi, but I would rather you don't see Jaden in his current state. I think Atty's lessons might have left him a little traumatized. Seriously, that guy does not hold back when it comes to flirting or women. I wonder how much more efficient he'd be if he only put that much energy into his studies and career,_" she thought.

Mac left the deck soon after, and headed over to Atticus's room, knocking as soon as she got there. "Come in," was the voice she heard from inside, so she stepped in. Atticus was busy packing the last few things into his bag.

"Oh, hey Mac. What's up?" he said.

"Done your little 'chat' with Jaden I see," she pointed out.

"Yeah, and don't worry, I stuffed every bit of information I could into that boy, so this is probably going to be the last chat we'll ever have. He's on his own now," he replied.

"Yeah, I think I believe you when you said ALL the information," shrugged Mac, remembering Jaden's embarrassed and pained face earlier. "So where's your star pupil now?"

"Jaden? Oh, I sent him back about fifteen minutes ago, told him to lie down for a bit, then grab his stuff and meet us in the lobby. He looked a little pale, so I thought he got a little seasick or something?" said Atticus, a concerned look on his face. "You know, maybe I should check on him before we disembark."

"No need. You should go help your sister with her luggage. I'll help Jaden if he needs it, since my luggage is already in the lobby," suggested Mac.

"Wow, you act fast girl! Okay, let's go with your plan," he said, then closed his bag, and made his way to the lobby with his luggage.

"_Yeah, right. If you checked on him, he'd probably faint, or worse,_" she thought, as she made her way to Jaden's room. When she got there, she noticed that the door was open, and that Jaden was grabbing the last of his things, and making his way out.

"Ah!... Oh, it's just you Mac. You startled me. For a moment there, I thought you were Atticus," said a startled Jaden as he turned around to leave.

Mac gave Jaden a pitiful look. "_For god's sake Atty, what did you tell him to make the boy so paranoid?_" she thought silently, then smiled. "It's just me, Jay. Atticus went to help Alexis with her luggage, so I came to pick you up," she said.

"Oh, great. I don't think that I could have taken another round of his lectures," said Jaden while shivering slightly.

"Oh, come on, I'm sure it wasn't that bad. What did he tell you to make you so shaken up?" she asked curiously.

"I'd rather not talk about it. Not to mention, that I don't think a girl should hear any of that," said Jaden quietly.

"Oh, that... deep, huh?" she muttered to herself. "Well, alright. Enough about that, let's get going then, shall we?" she asked.

"Yeah," replied Jaden, as he grabbed his stuff. The two of them made their way to the main lobby, where Atticus and Alexis were chatting.

"Oh Jaden, you're all right, man! That's a relief. We wouldn't wanna lose ya before the journey starts," said Atticus.

"Hey Atticus," said Jaden with a strained voice.

Alexis looked at Jaden, who was acting a little frightened, and at Atticus who seemed confused at Jaden's behavior, then started to piece together what happened. "Atty, what did you do?" she said, pulling his ear.

"Nothing, sis. I just taught him a few things about women, like I said I would," he said through the pain.

"Atty, so help me god..." she said, then released him, then turned to Jaden, and said, "Don't worry, Jaden. You don't have to take anything he said seriously."

"Really? Even the part about a guy and girl..."

"Oh look, they're opening the doors! Seems like they've docked, so let's get out of here already," said Mac hurriedly. then she proceeded to push Jaden out the main door. The other two were confused but obliged nonetheless.

Outside, the sun was beginning to set, and although the weather was cold, it wasn't as cold as when they were in Domino. Before them, lay a dock that they knew all too well, and a nostalgic view that they had not seen in years.

"Well, since nobody else will, I'll say it first," said Jaden excitedly, then he took a deep breath, and screamed, "I'M HOME!"

"Would you stop screaming this late in the day?! Some of us are trying to do our jobs here!" came a loud response from the dock.

They all turned towards the source, to see a nostalgic person walking up to them. "Well, well, well, if it isn't two of my favorite students, the Rhodes siblings. I'm so glad to see you again," said a tall, skinny man, with long blonde hair.

"Yes, It's nice to see you again, Professor Crowler," said Alexis. The man who had come to greet them was none other then their former instructor, and vice-chancellor, Professor Crowler.

"Oh, your words are wasted on me. It's lovely to see you again, Alexis. I've heard of your exploits at duel college, and I have to say, both me and the chancellor are so proud of you," he said, with his usual weird smile. "Of course, it's good to see you as well, master Atticus. And of course, who could forget the wonderful blooming flower of duel college, . It's quite an honor to have one of the best duelists in America on our humble grounds."

"Thanks... I guess," said Mac with a bitter smile.

"Oh, and you brought someone with you... oh, it's just you, slacker," he said. "Well, I haven't heard from you in a while, compared to the others. In spite of you never sending me a single letter to me, I suppose I should say welcome back, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah, it's good to see you too Professor. I'm sorry I didn't send you anything. I really couldn't at the time," Jaden apologized, slightly bowing his head.

"Well, it doesn't matter. You're here now, and anyways, knowing you, you were probably off sleeping under a log all these years," said Crowler. "It is good to see you though, slacker. It just hasn't been the same without a Slifer red in my classes."

"No Slifer reds?" asked Jaden.

"More importantly, I think we should get going. There are still more guests I have to greet," said Crowler. "Don't worry about your luggage, the staff members will take them to your rooms. As for you, I will take you to see the chancellor. He has been waiting for your arrival for a while now."

"Chancellor Sheppard, huh? Man, it's really been forever since I came here," said Jaden.

"Indeed. Now then, the trolley is waiting, so please get on. It will take you straight to the academy's main gate. I will wait here for the other guests," said Crowler.

"Alright, let's get on. See ya later, Professor Crowler," said Jaden, as they got onto the trolley.

"Just get going, you slacker!" shouted Crowler. As the trolley moved away from the docks, Crowler sighed, then showed a rare smile on his face. "_They've all grown up. As a teacher, I am so proud,_" he thought, as he went back to his tasks.

* * *

As the evening began to set in, the trolley carrying Jaden and his friends was making it's way across the nostalgic road to the academy's main building. Mac in particular, who had never been to the academy was enjoying the sights of both the unique buildings and the wildlife, while Atticus was acting as her guide.

"So that over there is the Ra Yellow building. Man, either my eyes are deceiving me, or it got a little upgrade since I last saw it. Anyways, that's what I like to call the 'nerds' building, since people admitted in there are either above average, or great in academics, but not so great in dueling. Well, I do have a few friends from Ra Yellow, so I can't really complain," explained Atticus.

"Well, it looks pretty enough," said Mac.

"You know, come to think of it, Jaden you were inside the Ra Yellow building once, right? How was it?" asked Alexis.

"Well, that was back in my first year. Back then, I liked that they had a clean cafeteria that served them whatever they wanted, instead of the mess hall we had. I mean, I got to eat fresh lobster! Lobster! It doesn't top fried shrimp, but it's definitely a close second!" said Jaden excitedly, drooling.

"Haha, leave it to Jaden to steer the conversation towards food," said Atticus, laughing bitterly. The girls smiled awkwardly in response. The trolley continued to move along the road, as the street lights were lit, and nightfall came rolling in. "That huge building over there is the Obelisk Blue boys dorm, where I lived most of my life here at the academy. Only the elite of the elite lived in this place, although in my final year, a big majority of the students were living in this dorm," he said.

"It looks a bit... excessively fancy, don't you think?" asked Mac.

"Hey, I'm not the one who built it," said Atticus. Next, the trolley passed by the lake, where the Obelisk Blue girls dorm was facing.

"Now, that's a very beautiful site," said Mac, stars in her eyes. "I mean, a dorm built on a beautiful lake brings out an element of elegance and beauty to that dorm. Not to mention that it's so romantic!"

"Yeah, and since all girls who join the academy end up here, it's also very popular. It had everything besides a lake: An indoor hot spring, private catering, a wonderful breeze all year round, and so much more," said Alexis. "The only girl who didn't really like it at first was Blair, but that's more because of her obsession with... you know, it's not that important."

"Not that important! That's your rival your talking about, of course you need to mention her and her obsessions! Speaking of which Alexis, you need to take every opportunity given to you this trip, and stake your flag on the mountain of love! You know, show her who's boss!" said Atticus passionately.

Mac groaned, while Alexis was startled for a bit, then gave a serious face, and said, "You know what Atty, you're right for a change. I will take advantage of every opportunity I get."

"I am? I mean, of course I am! I'm always right," said Atticus confidently.

"Don't push your luck, Atty," said Alexis coldly.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied dejectedly, while Jaden wondered what their conversation was about. The trolley continued moving for a while, until the driver announced that they had arrived at the main gate, and the trolley stopped.

"There it is. The building with most memories," said Jaden nostalgically. "Ah, it's great to be back,"

"It sure is, Jay," said Alexis next to him. The group took in the site, then Alexis broke the silence. "Well, let's not keep the chancellor waiting, right?"

With the other three in agreement, they walked into the building. Although Jaden and Atticus wanted to check out areas like the dueling arena, and the cafeteria, which they hadn't seen in a while, the girls insisted that they meet the chancellor first, and explore later, so they took the elevator, and climbed the steps to the chancellor's office on the top floor. Once they were outside, Mac knocked on the door.

"Please enter," said the voice on the other side of the door. Taking deep breathes, they stepped inside. When inside, Jaden, Alexis and Atticus noticed that the room hadn't changed much from what it was when they last set foot in here a few years ago. The seat at the desk turned around, and on it, they saw Chancellor Sheppard, and although he a few gray hinges on his beard, he still looked the same as he had when they last saw him.

"Welcome, my former students, and my esteemed guests. It's great to see you all again," said Sheppard.

"It's good to see you too, chancellor," said Alexis. "All of us were looking forward to seeing you when we got here."

Sheppard stood up from his chair, and walked over to the group. "Alexis, my dear. You've grown splendidly since I last you. I guess your choice to study abroad was the right one," he said.

"Yes, and I thank you and professor Crowler for helping me make that decision, and giving me the chance to pursue my dreams," smiled Alexis.

"Of course, and I've heard some great things from over there about you. Keep up the good work, Ms. 'Heavenly Queen'," he said, teasing her quietly with the last part. Alexis blushed out of embarrassment, as she didn't expect that nickname to reach the chancellor's ears. Satisfied with the results, he moved on to the next person. "Ah, Atticus, how many years did you spend here? I'm glad to see you back, after everything that's happened to you here," he said, then frowned. "If you have anything you wish to confide or let out, we can talk in private a little later."

"It's alright, Chancellor. I'm just here to meet with the guys, and have fun. I'm not here to re-open old wounds, or deal fresh ones," said Atticus with a blank smile.

The chancellor nodded. "Alright, well enjoy your stay," he said.

"Oh, I will. I'm even planning to sing at the gala tomorrow! It's gonna be fun! Now if only Lexi would join me on stage..." he began, but stopped due to the intense pressure emitting from his left side.

"Oh, I see. Well, I look forward to it," said Sheppard with a smile, then he greeted Mac who was next to Atticus. "Ah, dear little Reggie. How long has it been since I saw you last? You've grown up since then, and turned into a fine young lady," he said.

"Thank you, chancellor. It's a pleasure to see you again too, and it has been a while. My father sends you his regards," said Mac formally, with a smile.

"Oh, you're so formal. Please, call me 'Uncle Sheppard' like you used to. We're practically family, right?" he said casually.

"Hah, maybe some other time," she smiled.

"Ah, fine," he said dejectedly, then turned towards Jaden. "Last, but not least, Jaden Yuki. My, oh my, it's been a while. You've been a hard man to reach; honestly, I've heard news from every one of my previous students, but nothing from you. Still, here you are, standing right in front of me," he said, then put his hand on Jaden's shoulder. "You know, if I didn't touch you like this, I wouldn't have believed it. Honestly, when I first saw you, I thought you were a mirage." He removed his hand, and smiled. "You've grown taller, Jaden."

"Chancellor! It's great to see you again too," said Jaden, with teary eyes, then he hugged the chancellor as strongly as he could. The others were stunned for a moment, but seeing the scene in front of them, they couldn't help but give a warm smile.

The chancellor returned the hug instantly, and after several seconds, they separated. "Well, at least I know that you haven't forgotten about little ol' me. It's good to see you again, my boy. How have you been?"

"I've been great. I work for Kaiba Corp. now, though I only started recently, and well, it's not really a job par-say. But yeah, I'm sorry that I didn't contact you," said Jaden apologetically.

"Kaiba Corp.? Funny, Mr. Kaiba never mentioned that you were working for him. I know of Jesse and Axel, but not you," pondered Sheppard.

"Chancellor?" asked Jaden.

"Oh, it's nothing. Please enjoy your time here, in the company of friends, both old and new," said Sheppard, then he went back to his desk. "I know that you have a lot of questions, and I too have a lot of stuff to talk to you about, but that can wait till later. For now, please relax in the guest rooms we've prepared for you on the other side of the academy. Don't worry about the accommodations, I'm sure it'll be to your liking. Everything's been prepared; there's enough food should you need it, it's facing the beach, so you'll have a great view, you'll have access to high speed internet. Should I go on?"

"No need. We trust your aesthetic taste, Chancellor," said Atticus. "By the way, I've got one more question. Are we the first to arrive?"

"Well, not really. Axel and Jesse actually arrived over an hour ago, and I've already seen them. They've gone on official Kaiba Crop. business, but you'll probably end up seeing them tomorrow morning with everyone else. As for the others, well, none have arrived yet, but based on reports from teams at the docks and at the helipads, they should all be here within the hour, so you can wait for them in your rooms, or in the lobby, whichever you prefer," explained Sheppard. "Anything else?"

"No, we're fine. I believe I speak for the rest of us when I say, thanks again, chancellor, for inviting us to this reunion, and I guess we'll see you tomorrow at the gala," said Atticus.

"No, please don't talk so formally. This is your home away from home after all, so please enjoy yourselves. Well, don't mind an old man like me, and go get some well deserved rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day after all. Once again, it's been a treat seeing all of you here again. Now then, the trolley is waiting for you outside, to take you to your rooms. Best not to keep the driver waiting; he still has other guests to attend to, after all," said Sheppard.

"THANK YOU, CHANCELLOR, AND GOOD NIGHT" they all said in union, and turned around to leave.

"Wait Jaden, before you go, I'd like to talk to you about a little something," said Sheppard.

Jaden turned around, and asked, "Me?"

Sheppard nodded, then told the other three, who were waiting, "Please go on ahead without him. There's a little something he and I need to talk about, regarding the reunion. It's nothing major, and it shouldn't take too long."

Alexis and Mac nodded, albeit confused, but Atticus simply frowned. "No problem. If it won't take long, then you don't mind us waiting for him, right?" he asked.

Sheppard and Atticus exchanged glances for a bit, then Sheppard sighed. "Very well, but you know the driver's going to get on my case later, right?"

"Oh, I'm sure you can think of something," said Atticus, smiling provocatively, then he left.

"W-Well Jaden, guess we'll be waiting by the gate," said Mac with a nervous smile, as she lightly dragged Alexis out of the room with her.

Once the door closed, and their footsteps faded, Sheppard sighed, and faced Jaden with a serious face. "Before we begin, I'd like to confirm something I already checked with Axel and Jesse. You are working as a Dragoon, are you not?" Jaden widened his eyes for a second, then frowned and nodded. "Excellent, then we can begin. You see, someone on this island is..."

"It's Crowley, isn't it?" asked Jaden, cutting in.

Sheppard widened his eyes. "How did you..." he asked.

"Well, let's just say that one of his 'lackeys', attacked me the other day," said Jaden, narrowing his eyes.

"I see..." said Sheppard. "Well then, I assume you did your homework on the good professor then."

Jaden nodded, then said, "Well, Mac was the one who got all the information, both the known stuff, and the hidden underground stuff."

"So, it was her, huh? She's always getting herself into trouble for her friends, that girl," muttered Sheppard with a bitter smile. "Alright, so you know about the artifacts he brought onto the island, and that his true purpose has something to do with the other 'you'." After Jaden nodded, the chancellor added, "Great, so that takes care of the long part. Now on to what you don't know." Then he opened a droor, took out a file, and handed it to Jaden. "This is a brief summary compiled by Axel, and another Dragoon who is already on the island, detailing about a few of the artifacts, and some possible locations for Crowley's hideout. The thing is, ever since Alistair first joined us, I've been very skeptical about the decisions he's made. I've tried several methods to figure out his plans: interrogation, spying, you name it, but every time, he's given us the slip. His loyal students are also pretty tight-lipped, so it's been hard finding any information about his plans. One of his students is also a fellow Dragoon member of yours, but she's... been unable to report in for a while. I'd explain more, but that would take too long, so the rest is in the report in your hands."

Jaden looked down at the report, then up at Sheppard. "Chancellor, do you think we have a chance of stopping him?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, Jaden. I wish I could tell you," said Sheppard. "Let me tell you something though, Jaden. All of the guests for the reunion were sent invitations, courtesy of myself and Prof. Crowler, except for one. Can you guess who that was? Aren't you a little bit curious as to how you got an invitation, when we didn't even know where you were?"

"I probably shouldn't answer that..." said Jaden.

"Hm, not the answer I was expecting, but yes, it was you, Jaden. You see, I wanted to send you an invitation, but none of us knew where you were, well that is, except for one person. Alistair told us to send the invitation over to your parent's house. Originally, we told him that it doesn't guarantee your presence, but for some reason, he was oddly confident that you would show up there, so against my better instincts, I let him send the invitation to your house, and as he predicted, you showed up, though know that I think about it, considering that you're a Dragoon, and so is our double-agent, he would have known all of your movements," said Sheppard, then he got up and smiled. "But enough about that, your friends are waiting. Please enjoy yourself over the course of this week, and don't worry about a thing, we'll make sure to foil any plans that Alistair has before it can even begin. We've worked hard to keep the academy peaceful after the darkness incident, and I intend to keep it that way!"

Jaden stared at Sheppard for a short while, then gave a confident smile. "Alright, thank you chancellor, and don't worry; if you need my help, then I'll help anyway I can," he said confidently.

"Well then, our conversation is over, so please get some rest, make sure to read the report, and I'll see you tomorrow night. Again, it's great to see you again, Jaden," said Sheppard.

"You too, Sheppard," said Jaden, and he turned to leave.

On his way out, the chancellor said, "Oh, and Jaden. This time, if trouble strikes, don't hesitate to rely on your friends. They're a lot tougher then you think."

Jaden stopped and smiled. "Don't worry, chancellor, I know. I won't make the same mistake twice," he said, then left the office.

Sheppard left his desk, and moved towards the window. "I'm glad that he's grown quite a bit," he thought. "But I fear that dark times are ahead, and that we might need your help, Jaden, much sooner then you think. I just hope that your other personality doesn't get incited to his side."

* * *

On a jagged side of the coast, near the Slifer Red dorm, Jesse and Axel, who had arrived a couple of hours ago, were climbing down the cliff.

"Axel, are you sure that the agent is down there," said Jesse.

"Yeah, that's what the encrypted message said. A cave beneath the cliff, near the Slifer Red dorm. It's true that the place is a bit unconventional, but when you consider the possibility of being compromised, the place is actually ideal for a secret briefing," replied Axel.

"Oh Axel, you and your army talk," said Jesse with a sigh. The two descended for a short while, until they reached the mouth of the cave in question. Once inside, they took several steps forward until they reached a dimly lit room. Inside, a figure hidden behind a black cloak stood waiting in the middle. Once the two stepped into the room, the figure reacted.

"So you came? Took you long enough," said a deep, feminine voice from behind the cloak.

"Well, we got held up. It couldn't be helped," sighed Axel, then stared at her strongly. "Now, I don't think you have much time, 'Raven', so I suggest you brief us on what you know."

"Straight to the point, I see. I can respect that," she said. "Well, the good news is, I know where the hideout is. He's trusted me enough to show me, and I've been there several times as well, so I've managed to memorize the layout. I have the blueprints right here," she said, then pulled a flash drive from her cloak, and tossed it over to Axel.

Axel caught the flash drive, then asked, "And the bad news?"

"The bad news is that it'll be almost impossible for you to infiltrate, considering where it is, and who he has guarding it," she said indifferently.

"I see, then I'm assuming that all of the knights having a connection to the spirits was true," he said.

"Yes, and so, you'll be caught before you can get inside, though I won't stop you from trying," she said. "Now then, the location of the base is..."

As the agent revealed the location, the sound of her voice was covered by the crashing waves, as an evil cloud began covering the academy, as if signaling the beginning of an ominous tale.


	14. A Rematch Long Overdue

Chapter 14: A Rematch Long Overdue

**Part 1**

Along the chilly, breezy, star-lit path, a small trolley was making it's way to the large guest house on the other side of the island. On board were Jaden and his friends, as they were looking forward to getting some well-deserved rest, anticipating the wonderful days to come. The atmosphere surrounding them was one of delight and joy, except for Jaden, who was still pondering about his meeting with the chancellor. While he was lost in his thoughts, Yubel appeared and began to speak to him telepathically.

"_Why the long face, Jaden? You realize that you're dragging down the merry mood that your friends are in,_" she said.

"_Sorry, Yubel. I'm still thinking about what the chancellor said. I mean, how on earth did Crowley know I was coming back? Did he guess? Is he actually psychic or has some future prediction powers like Sartorius? Aarghh, just thinking about it makes me feel..._"

"Jaden?" he heard Alexis's voice next to him. He looked up at her, and saw that she was looking at him with concern, with the others also having a similar look. "Is everything okay? You've been cringing and shaking your head furiously for the past two minutes," she said.

Jaden looked around at his friends, who he noticed were staring at him with concern. He realized that he had unconsciously expressed his thoughts, and slightly blushed out of embarrassment. "Sorry for that guys," he said. "I was just... thinking about stuff."

"Stuff? You mean, about Crowley and the knights?" asked Alexis.

"Oh no, nothing about them!" replied Jaden hurriedly. "I mean, they are a problem, but that wasn't what I was thinking about. I was thinking about... oh, I was thinking about how I'm gonna greet my friends! You know, I haven't seen them in a while, and they're probably a little bitter because I never contacted them since high school, so I was thinking about what I was gonna say to them!"

"Yeah, that does sound like a problem, though I never expected you of all people Jaden, to worry about something like this. You're usually friendly with everybody, and you always seem to know what to say. Plus, you seemed fine when you saw me for the first time in two years, and you got along with Mac just fine, though a certain 'someone' was pretty emotional when she got to see you again," he said with a mischievous smile.

"Yeah, well I'm not buying it Jaden," replied Alexis, ignoring her brother's comments. "Like Atty said, you aren't the type to worry about something like that. Plus, you seemed really deep in thought since you left the chancellor's office, which I believe is way out of character for you. I think you're a bit disturbed over something he told you, and the only possible thing that could be troubling enough for you, is the matter of Crowley and his little band of knights, so it must be related to that. Tell me Jaden, what really happened in the chancellor's office?" asked Alexis with a slight intensity.

Jaden began to feel cornered from Alexis's intensity. "_Wow, she's pretty good. You know, I believe she'll make a great counselor, on top of being a teacher,_" commented Yubel inside Jaden's head. "_Not helping, Yubel!_" he replied to her. "_What do I say to her now? I can't talk about the Dragoons in front of Atticus and Mac. Man, I hope something or someone can get me out of this situation!_"

As Jaden was thinking that, the trolley came to a stop. "Well, it looks like we've arrived," said Mac, who was looking at something on her left side. They all turned to that direction, and saw a very wide, luxurious mansion in front of them.

The driver looked looked back at them, and said, "This is the guest house prepared by chancellor Sheppard, where all of the guests of the reunion will be staying. Inside, you will find many modern facilities that we hope will cater to all of your needs, including an underground gym, high-tech kitchen with a full pantry and chefs ready at your beck and call, an outdoor bath and spa, and many more. Your luggage has already been delivered to your room. Inside, a student volunteer will provide you with your room keys, and answer any questions you might have, as well as provide you with a schedule for tomorrow. On behalf of chancellor Sheppard and the rest of the staff, we would like to officially welcome you to the duel academy reunion."

"Wow, this place looks amazing!" exclaimed Jaden. "Let's take a look inside!" he said excitedly, then took off towards the guest house. Sharing his enthusiasm, both Mac and Atticus followed suit, while Alexis left the trolley last, and followed slowly behind, still in thought.

"_I don't get it. What did the chancellor say to Jaden to get him all riled up? I'm sure it had something to do with Crowley, but what? Did he actually figure out Crowley's plan, and told only Jaden to keep us safe and out of the loop? I'm sure there's more to this story then that._" She stopped when she realized something. "_Wait a second, Jaden said that both Axel and Jesse work with him at Kaiba Corp., that they were on the same team, and the chancellor already spoke with them in private like he did with Jaden. Whatever's going on, I'm sure they know something, and I'm going to try and get it from them._"

"Hey lex, you coming?" asked Jaden from in front of the house.

"Yeah, just give me a sec," she replied, running up to him. "_For now, I guess I'll have to probe Jaden for more information, though I'm not sure he'll actually tell me, promise or otherwise. Still, I want to know more, so I can help him,_" she thought, then gave a bitter smile. "_You know, if anyone else heard this, I'd probably be mistaken for a nosy stalker._"

* * *

"It's way bigger on the inside, isn't it," commented Jaden, as they stepped into the mansion.

As he had pointed out, the inside of the mansion was more spacious then one could have first imagined. The main lobby and meeting area were wide enough to host a large party, and was equipped with several recreational facilities, including a mini-bar with seats, several long couches and comfortable seats, pool tables, one of the biggest Ultra-HD TV's in the market, and of course, an entire space wide enough to duel, battle city style. At the end of the hall, stood the entrance to the outdoor hot springs and spa, which was wider and fancier then any of them had ever seen before (with of course, proper segregation between the genders, much to Atticus's dismay), providing them with a beautiful view of the beach, coupled with the chilled yet gentle and heartwarming breeze coming from the sea. On the right side of the main lobby, was the kitchen and dining area, and as the trolley driver had explained, the kitchen was equipped with the latest cookware and a stocked pantry. The dining area itself could accommodate a large number of people, to the point where Mac and Alexis thought it was excessive, considering the number of guests. On the left were two sets of elevators, one leading to the male guest rooms, the other to the female guest rooms.

Atticus whistled in admiration at the sight of the place. "Man, I've gotta hand it to the chancellor. He has terrible taste in professors, but I've gotta admit, he has great taste in housing and entertainment," he said.

"Of course he has. After all, you are our important guests," came a feminine voice from behind them. Jaden and Alexis both instantly recognized the identity of the voice, as they had both met that person before. They turned around to see a familiar girl with fiery-red hair, standing behind the main counter in the lobby. "Welcome guests, to the duel academy guest house. My name is Fira, second year Obelisk blue student, and I will be your attendant and helper on this lovely evening," said the girl who attacked Jaden and Alexis a few nights ago, Fira. She was dressed in the traditional Obelisk blue uniform, at the exception of a small name-tag located on the upper-left side of her uniform.

Jaden instantly jumped in front of Alexis, and braced himself for what might come, while both Atticus and Mac tensed up after hearing her name, expecting trouble, but contrast to all of their expectations, Fira looked surprised. "Huh, why the sudden tone change in the room? Is something wrong? Why do you all look like you're going off to war or something?" she asked.

"Sorry, but I think you'll forgive us for being a little cautious," said Jaden fiercely. "Especially after what happened a few nights ago."

"Huh, a few nights ago? I'm sorry, what are you talking about?" she asked, confused by Jaden's words.

Jaden widened his eyes, while Alexis screamed out," Don't play dumb with us! You attacked Jaden and I a few nights ago, and nearly killed a large number of people, and now you have the guts to act like nothing happened!"

"Huh, attacked you? Killed people? That sounds awful, and nothing like me! Why on earth would I ever want to do that? Besides, I've never met you people in person until today, so I think you've mistaken me for someone else. Why would you accuse me of such horrible atrocities? I would never hurt anyone like that!" shouted Fira tearfully, trying to defend herself.

Jaden was dumbfounded. "_What the hell is going on here?_" he thought. "_She's acting way different then before. And what's with those tears? Did she really not do anything, or perhaps she was forced or manipulated into doing those things?_"

"_Don't think too deeply into this, Jaden,_" said Yubel in his thoughts. "_She's clearly faking, though I've got to say that she's doing a pretty good job at it._"

"_Faking?_" asked Jaden.

"_Most likely, she's trying to win over Mac and Atticus who have not actually seen her before, or perhaps taking into account the fact that we might have exposed her beforehand, she is probably trying to hide her actions from a certain someone, and that someone is probably watching us now, maybe through a hidden camera or something of the sorts,_" speculated Yubel.

"_Someone? Oh, could you mean someone like the chancellor?_" asked Jaden.

"_Bingo,_" said Yubel. "_After all, that sneaky professor probably doesn't want any 'inconveniences' to pop up before he can execute his plan. Think about it; If one of his students cracks, the whole operation could be compromised. I'm honestly impressed that he managed to keep everything hidden from the chancellor for so long. I mean, even I was eventually exposed by you and your friends within a month or so, when I was working with that other professor, remember?"_

_"How could I forget," _said Jaden bitterly, as he put his attention back to the situation at hand.

"Never hurt anyone? Never met you? Don't give me that crap!" shouted Alexis. "After everything you put me through, you think you can just play this off as some dumb misunderstanding?!"

"But it's true! If it's as you say, and whatever happened to you took place a few days ago, then I had nothing to do with it! I was at the academy this whole time; In fact, I haven't left the academy since the autumn tournament that took place in Domino a couple of months ago, and I even have an alibi to prove it!" replied Fira confidently, then took out a document from a small cabinet below her, and showed it to them. "See, I've been helping out at this mansion for the past five days now on orders from professor Crowler, and I've only ever left a couple of times to report to the chancellor. Normally, I'd also show you the security footage of this place from the past few days, but I don't have access to the security room. When my colleague comes back, I'm sure he'll also vouch for me, cause we've been working together from the start. So as you can see, it's impossible for me to have left the island without someone noticing my absence, not to mention improbable, since I don't have a way to leave the island in the first place, and to top it all off, I didn't know where you were back then, so how could I have found you?" she explained tearfully.

Alexis staggered a bit after seeing Fira's proof. "_That's impossible! I know she's the one who was present on the bridge that day, and the one who kidnapped me, not to mention the one who dueled Jaden, yet there she is denying it and acting all innocent. But the proof... unfortunately, the proof all makes sense, especially if she has security footage and witnesses to back it up. Then how... wait, those black flames of hers! I don't know how, but I know that based on Jaden's side of the story, she can teleport with them! After all, she managed to get from the restaurant to the Domino City bridge in virtually a few seconds, so it'd actually be a cinch to get off the island undetected. However, there's still the matter of the security footage..._" she thought, as she stared at Fira.

The two stared at each other for a short while, and right before Alexis was about to say something, Atticus jumped in. "Alright, break it up, ladies. You know I'm always in the mood for a classic catfight as much as the next guy, but we need to prioritize here," he said, then faced Fira, and bowed. "I'm sorry for what my sister said. She's actually been through a lot these past few days, and is a little on edge. Please forgive her, she's really tired and probably mistook you for someone else," he said apologetically. "Though I must say, I'm not sure how anyone could mistake someone as cute as you for somebody else."

"Oh, how sweet of you," said Fira with a smile, then looked up at Alexis. "Normally, I wouldn't forgive such a heartless and baseless accusation, but since it's the holidays, I guess I could let it slide just this once. Plus, I've always admired the 'Obelisk Queen' ever since I joined the obelisk blue girls dorm; After all, she was a role model to us all, though I never expected to see such a... fierce, aggressive side of her, especially not today," she said.

"Oh, that's nice of you," said Atticus, then he turned around and faced Alexis. "Now Lex, come on, I know you've had a long day, but you can't go around screaming at every person you meet, just cause they look like someone you might know."

"But Atticus, that's the same girl who..." she began, but stopped after seeing her brother's face. He had a serious look on his face, then he nodded at her slightly as if beckoning her to play along. She closed her eyes, then bowed her head. "You're right, brother. I'm sorry Fira, I must have mistaken you for someone else. Like Atty said, it's been a long week," she said apologetically.

Fira nodded. "Well okay, it's fine. 'Tis the season of forgiveness after all," she said indifferently, then moved back to the counter. "Well, now that your here, I need to give you your keycards. Please remember to take your keycard with you wherever you go, as you need it to enter all of the house's facilities. Now where did I put them? Hm, let's see..."

As Fira started looking for the keycards, Atticus beckoned the group to come together. "Listen, we need to play it cool for now," he said in a low voice. "I know that she's put you two through hell, and I know that you want to lash out or get even with her; Heck, even I don't want to forgive her, despite how cute she is, but right now is not the best time for that."

"Atty's right," agreed Mac. "Knowing Sheppard, he's probably watching this place right know, and if he is, then we probably have another person watching in on us too, and you both know who that person is."

Both Jaden and Alexis nodded. "The point is that if Sheppard's watching, and this girl does really work for Crowley, she wouldn't want to be exposed just yet, but at the same time, it'll look bad for us if we start questioning her," explained Atticus. "In other words, there's nothing we can do right now, but play along."

"That Crowley guy is pretty sneaky though, to the point where I think we underestimated him," said Mac. "He has us dancing in the palm of his hand, and it's like he's mocking us from somewhere, saying 'Go ahead and interrogate her... if you want to look like the bad guys'. I'm afraid Atty's right; We just have to play this out."

"Oh, darn it! I must have left them in the back room!" said Fira, as Jaden and his friends ended their little discussion. "Just a minute, please. I've gotta head on back," she said to them with a cute pose, then headed into the room behind the counter.

Silence enveloped the room for a while. "_Well, you heard them. What do you suggest?_" asked Jaden telepathically to Yubel.

"_As they said, it's best to do nothing for now,_" she replied. "_That professor is probably watching us now, laughing at our misfortune. That little witch got us good, managing to trap us from all sides until the professors's plan comes into motion. It's infuriating, but not unexpected. After all, he managed to survive this long without being discovered by the chancellor, so I'm confident that he can survive a few more days safely, and all we can do is to wait patiently until either he slips up or..._"

"Ah, I see that our guests are here," said a calm voice from behind the group. They turned around to see a young man with a slightly slender figure standing behind them, slightly bowing with a hand over his chest, dressed in an obelisk blue uniform. He had flowing, shoulder-length blonde hair, deep-blue eyes, and quite a handsome face. He looked up and said, "Welcome our dear guests, and a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Edward Sherwood, hailing from jolly old England, 2nd year student at this illustrious duel academy as well as top of my class, and I will be one of your attendants on this lovely evening."

"Sherwood? As in the Sherwood conglomerate?" asked Mac.

"Ah, the lovely young madam knows me well. That brings me such joy," said Edward, then he proceeded to head towards the group, while saying, "Yes, I am the next head of the prestigious Sherwood conglomerate, as everybody on this island seems to know, but as I've learned here and you probably already know, my family name means nothing in this academy. Here, I am simply 'Edward' the duelist, not a rich playboy, nor some sadistic, delusional celebrity. Though I must say, it makes me delighted to know that you of all people know my name, Ms. Mackenzie."

He then approached Mac, took her hand, and gave her a small peck on it. "Well, how courteous, Edward," stuttered a confused Mac.

"Please, call me by my duelist name, Ray," he said.

Alexis blushed slightly at the scene, not expecting this turn of events, while Atticus was smiling on the outside, but slightly irritated on the inside. "_It's just a greeting. It's just a greeting. It's just a greeting..._" he kept repeating those envious thoughts inside of him. Jaden on the other hand, was looking inquisitively at Edward, sensing that he gave off the same kind of vibe that Fira did.

"_That name, Ray..._" he thought.

"_Oh, I'm impressed that you of all people managed to pick that up right away,_" said Yubel telepathically. "_Yes, judging from the dangerous aura this young man is giving off, and his name 'Ray', it seems like we've found the second elemental knight, the 'LIGHT' knight._"

"This of course applies to everyone," said Ray. "Please don't think of me as Edward Sherwood, but as your fellow junior duelist, Ray. I do hope we get along," he said courteously, then approached Jaden. "Especially you, Jaden Yuki. I look forward to getting to know you better," he smiled, then offered his hand for Jaden to shake.

"Sure. Same here," smiled Jaden confidently, and he accepted the handshake. As they were shaking hands however, Jaden felt an ominous presence gripping him, as if something were trying to invade his mind. He staggered for a bit, then looked up and saw Ray giving him a sinister smile for a brief moment, before releasing his hand, and returning to his usual business smile.

"Well, I'm sure that all of you are tired after your long journey, so let me show you to your rooms. Have you received your keycards yet?" asked Ray.

"No, the other girl said that she forgot them in the backroom, and went to grab them," said Mac.

"By other girl, do you mean Fira? We were supposed to work our hardest together to support you guests tonight, but it seems like she's doing things at her own pace again," said Ray, then turned and called to Fira, "Oi Fira, did you get the keycards yet? Our guests are waiting!"

"Is that you, Ray? I found them, coming back in a sec," she shouted back.

"My deepest apologies for this blunder," he said, while turning around and bowing. "She can be a bit of an air-headed girl sometimes."

"No prob," said Jaden. "Everybody forgets things."

"Thank you for your kind words," replied Ray, as Fira popped up from the backroom.

"Sorry for the wait!" she said enthusiastically. "Here are your room keys," she said, handing each of the members a keycard. Each keycard had the guest's name, as well a unique number on it. "As you can see, each guest has his own unique keycard. Your number is on your card, but just in case you're the forgetful type, like myself, your names are engraved onto each door," she explained.

"Well, I am sure that you are all anxious to get up to your rooms, so allow us to escort you there. I will go with the gentlemen, and Fira will escort the ladies. Now, please come this way," instructed Ray, as he and Fira led the group to their rooms via the elevators.

Yubel, who had been observing the whole time, glanced at Ray fiercely. "_That boy, he did something to Jaden. I don't know what it was, but I felt it,_" she thought, then shivered a little. "_It was not a pleasant feeling though; It was as if he was trying to break down and enter Jaden's mind with a hammer! Could this be his spiritual power? If so, then we could be in for a long vacation. Let's hope Jaden or the chancellor manage to deal with that pesky professor and his knights, before the situation can escalate out of control._"

* * *

"Well Ms. Mackenzie, here is your room," said Fira, as they stood in front of Mac's room.

"Thank you, Fira. Also, Mac is fine. We're going to be seeing a lot more of each other, so I don't mind if you call me a bit more casually," replied Mac with a smile.

"Okie dokie!" she said cheerfully, then moved on to the next room as Mac stepped into hers. "Well Ms. Rhodes, your room isn't very far from hers, only a few doors down."

"That's nice," said Alexis, who was deep in thought. "_Could she really be acting all of this? It's still hard to believe that she's the same person, then again..._" she thought, remembering how she acted in front of Jaden.

"We're here, Alexis," said Fira, as she stood in front of Alexis's room. "I hope you'll like it. The chancellor put a lot of detail into designing these suite-style rooms."

"I see. Sounds nice," said Alexis indifferently, before realizing something. "Wait a second, I don't remember letting you call me so casually," she stated, facing Fira.

"Oh, you didn't? I though that since you and Mac were friends, that it would be alright for me too. Guess not, huh," said Fira dejectedly, but the smile instantly returned to her face. "I do admire you though. I mean, you were the best obelisk blue female duelist ever!"

"Well thanks, I guess," said Alexis.

Fira then looked at Alexis with a dangerous smile. "Hey, can I hug you? I always wanted to hug my female idol!" she requested.

"A hug? Normally, I'd refuse, but I did say all of those things, so I guess..." began Alexis.

"YAAAY," cheered Fira, not waiting for Alexis to finish. Alexis was flustered for an bit, and was about to respond, but Fira asked in a low voice, "What the hell do you think you were doing back there?"

Alexis shuddered a bit, as the girl's tone had changed. "Huh, what are you..."

"Shh. No talk, just listen," interrupted Fira. "I meant, you making a scene back there. Here I was, trying to play the good girl, and you just had to go and try to foil it. Luckily for me, your precious brother stepped in, or rather should I say, lucky for you." Alexis shuddered at those last words, as the atmosphere around them grew strangely cold. "Honestly, I was this close to burning you to a crisp. You should feel thankful that your dear brother stepped in, or even more so, that lord Jaden was watching. That would have destroyed all of my credibility, and ruined my personal plans. Honestly, I feel so frustrated right now, but alas, I can't deal with you right now. I can, however, cut you a deal."

Alexis widened her eyes a little. "A deal? With you?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes, glad you catch on," said Fira indifferently. "Listen, I really don't like you, but I don't really have much of a problem with the rest of the guests, and I really don't wanna cause any unnecessary trouble while lord Jaden is here. I want him to have as much fun as he can while he's here, and I'd rather him not jump in to protect you like last time, so I want to call a truce. As long as you stay out of my way when I'm interacting with lord Jaden, then I won't interfere with you... for now, anyways. Though I say deal, it's more of an ultimatum, since you don't really have much of a choice. After all, I'm sure you're quite traumatized after last time."

"Traumatized? What kind of messed-up crap are you spouting? There's now way I'd... !" began Alexis, but she stopped and began to shudder. Fira had created a small ball of black flames in her right hand, and held it near Alexis's back. Alexis, realizing this, began to shake uncontrollably and sweat heavily, her body remembering the damaging effects of Fira's flames from their last encounter. Unable to contain her fear anymore, she raised a small shriek and pushed Fira away from her, the force of which caused her to reel back and fall to the ground.

Fira smirked at the sight of Alexis. "See what I mean. All I did was make a little, harmless ball of flames, and you're already cowering on the ground, crying and whimpering like a little b****," mocked Fira. "Admit it, you're terrified of me, and even if you try to act all tough, the fear and pain has already been engraved deep into your body, and now, you can't even face me eye-to-eye, but I guess that's a suitable punishment for a rich b**** like you. Maybe now, you'll realize how wrong you were, and you'll regret seducing my king," she said, a sadistic expression on her face, but it changed to a very calm, proper one in a manner of seconds.

"Well, I'll let you off with just that. It's getting late, you need your sleep, and I have a couple of things to finish before the other employees come back. After all, I'm just a volunteer," she said cheerfully in a bright tone, contrast to her tone a minute ago. "Well Alexis, it was fun chatting with you and getting to know you, and I look forward to doing so again later," she said while bowing, then headed towards the elevator. As she got in, she said, "Oh, and don't forget our little deal," in a calm voice, a slightly sadistic smile on her face, then the elevator doors closed, leaving Alexis alone in the spacious hallway.

Alexis slowly got up, as her body noticed that the danger had passed, then she slammed her fist into the wall next to her. "_Why? Why was I so afraid of her? I knew she couldn't hurt me, at least not here, so why did I act like that? Was it instinct, or maybe... what she said is true. I really am traumatized, and that fear will prevent me from going against her,_" she thought as she stepped into her room, then slumped onto the nearby couch. "_Damn it! This is just the worst. Now what do I do? Well, I guess the first thing I can do is go see Jaden for my original goal, I guess, because from what I can see, that might prove to be difficult later on._"

* * *

"Well gents, here we are," said Ray, as he and the two guests he was escorting stood outside the door to one of the rooms on that floor. "This will be your room, master Atticus," he said.

"Thanks, man. You've been helpful," said Atticus, then he wrapped his arm around Ray's shoulder and said, "So tell me, newbie. Do you kiss all the ladies you come across? Or just the really cute ones? Or maybe it's just the one's you fancy, hm?" said Atticus, his tone hiding the thorns in his voice. Jaden smiled bitterly at the sight, while Yubel looked in disbelief. "_I can't believe that this playboy is actually jealous of a simple peck, and on the hand no less. Human truly are mysterious creatures,_" she thought.

"Hm, whatever do you mean by that?" asked Ray, confused, then he widened his eyes, as if knowing what Atticus was referring to. "Oh, do you mean when I politely greeted madam Mackenzie? That is how I greet all the ladies I come across, particularly those of the upper-class. I was born to a family that was dedicated to the service of her majesty, the queen, after all, so showing this much courtesy is a must. Oh, was she your girlfriend? In that case, I apologize to you master Atticus, as I am aware that some people will take offense to my actions. I should have been more thoughtful," he finished, bowing.

"Man, when you put it that way, you make me look the bad guy," sighed Atticus. "Well, I guess I did overreact a little. It's fine, water under the bridge I guess."

"Thank you for your kind words, master Atticus," said Ray politely.

"Hey man, Atticus is fine. You getting all polite just makes things creepier," said Atticus, then he turned to Jaden. "Welp, I'm gonna check out the room, so I guess I'll catch you later, Jay," he said, then he stepped into his room.

"Now then master Jaden, your room is a couple of rooms down, as you can see here," said Ray, as they moved for a bit then stopped.

"Yeah, thanks," replied Jaden. "So you going to be working here all week?"

"As much as that would be a delightful experience, I'm afraid not, master Jaden," said Ray. "You see, Fira and I are only here as replacements for the regular staff of the house, who are busy with other tasks at the current moment. Of course, I will still act as a student volunteer, as will Fira, and we will be helping you with all your other needs during your stay."

"Oh, okay. You guys must have it rough," said Jaden.

"Not at all. After all, a chance to mingle directly with some of the best duelists makes it all worth it," said Ray with a smile. "By the way master Jaden, could you spare some time during this week for a friendly duel with me?" he asked.

"A duel? Sure, I don't mind, but there are plenty of good duelists that you can duel with, so why me..." began a cautious Jaden, but he was then stopped as he felt both of his shoulders being squeezed immensely. He looked ahead of him, to see Ray squeezing his shoulders with a powerful force, a sinister look on his face.

"No, it has to be you, the most powerful duelist of your time! Ah, I can picture it now, the sight of our fierce battle tearing this worthless world apart, and shaking the very ground beneath our feet! It will be a battle of epic proportions, and at the end of it all... I will finally obtain what I seek!" he said wildly, as if delusional. Jaden was stunned by this sudden reaction, while Yubel confirmed her suspicions, and proceeded to help Jaden pry free from the boy's grip, however that was unnecessary, as the boy in question let go voluntarily, with an apologetic expression that belied the sinister one he wore earlier.

"Oh, my sincerest apologies," said Ray. "I got a little excited there, and when I get excited, I tend to forget my surroundings, and I begin to act a little aggressive, based on the people who know me personally." He then bowed, and said, "Please accept my humblest apologies! I swear on the great Sherwood name that a mishap like that will not happen again, mark my words," in a frantic manner.

"Yeah, no problem man," said Jaden with a bitter smile. "Well, I'm gonna head into my room now, so I guess I'll see you later."

"Yes, of course. See you later, oh supreme one," said Ray, the last part only heard by himself as Jaden stepped into his room and closed the door behind him.

Once inside, Jaden just took a few steps, then plopped down on what seemed to be a couch. He had not turned on the lights, and the lighting coming from the window was dim. "Man, that was a close one. That guy, Ray, it almost seemed like he was trying to enter my head. What's that about? Is that his ability? And that grip..." he thought, troubled by the revelation.

"Yes, that boy is more formidable then he looks," said Yubel, who appeared. "Earlier, I also felt it, like a foreign entity trying to invade your mind, and a creepy feeling of... helplessness, like my body couldn't move," she continued, slightly shaken. "Be careful around that boy, Jaden, for there's no telling what he'll do. That smile, it was similar to the one that the professor had when we met him a few days ago."

"Don't worry, Yubel, i'll be fine. Plus, everybody's here, so we should be..." he began, but then heard a knock coming from his balcony window. He turned to the source, and saw two people standing outside. He couldn't tell much about them, only that both were male, and one of them seemed pretty intimidating, but just as Jaden was activating his powers to prepare for the worst, a familiar duel spirit jumped into his chest, causing him to tumble back onto the couch.

"Ruby, ruby," said Ruby Carbuncle happily. Ruby was one of the crystal beasts, and it's presence meant only one thing.

"Heya Ruby, it's been a while," said Jaden happily, then he realized it. "Wait, then that means that one of the guys outside is Jesse, and so the only other guy has to be... Axel! Man, what a wimp I turned out to be, am I right?"

"Well, to be fair, you have a right to be cautious after everything that's happened," said Yubel with a sigh. "Now, I think you should switch on the lights, and welcome them in. If I'm not mistaken, the switch should be somewhere above where you're sitting."

"Thanks, will do," said Jaden, as he got up, and flipped the light switch, welcoming the smiling gaze of Jesse, and the disinterested but respectful gaze of Axel, as he headed towards the balcony.

* * *

"So Fira, how was your little grudge talk?"

"It was pretty satisfying actually. That little b**** is probably cowering in her room right now, but I'm more interested in what you were talking about upstairs with our lord."

"Nothing, I just offered to duel him, is all. Don't look at me with that scowl; It'll mess up your pretty face."

"Don't patronize me, you bastard. You think I didn't see what you were doing back there? Lord Jaden might not have realized it, but I have. You were trying to use your powers on him, weren't you?!"

"Relax, it was just a demonstration of my abilities, a bit of harmless fun if you will. I never truly intended to use my powers; After all, he's a vital key for the success of our plan, and my ambitions."

"...Listen up, _si cazzo. _If you dare pull that stunt again, I will kill you. _è chiaro?_"

"Oh Fira, your accent is slipping. You best be careful, my dear. Plus, I think you should only say that after you've beaten me at least once, though I will heed your advice... for now."

* * *

**Part 2**

"Hey, great to see ya, Jay!" said Jesse excitedly, as he exchanged a high-five with Jaden. "It's only been a week, but it feels like it's been ages!"

"Yeah Jesse, I'm glad to see you guys too," replied Jaden.

Once Jaden had opened the balcony window, he was reunited with his friends and teammates, Jesse and Axel, who were all now seated on the surprisingly wide couch. They had just gotten back from the secret meeting with their fellow Dragoon contact, and Axel was eager to fill Jaden in on all of the details.

"I'm going to go ahead and assume you didn't read the case file yet," said Axel, and once Jaden nodded, he continued. "Well, I also assume that the chancellor told you about the meeting. But before I fill you in..." he stopped, then took a small, handheld device from the small bag he brought with him, and said, "I need to ensure that this place is secure. Why don't you ask Jesse about his brief Rio trip while I work?", then got up and walked to the doorway.

"Yeah, I don't have much to say about that, though," laughed Jesse. "I mean, I got to the airport, and was heading to my hotel room, when Axel gave me the call, and said I had to head back, because we got a last minute assignment. Man, the weather was pretty good, and I was hoping to enjoy the beach with Ruby and the others. Ain't that right, Ruby?"

"Ruby, ruby!" said Ruby Carbuncle excitedly.

"Then I had to get back, but there was a long delay at the airport, because apparently there were a couple of storms on the route back, and the pilots didn't wanna take any chances, and when I finally got back to Domino, Axel was all pissed and stuff, so there's that. But on the bright side, we get to meet everyone again, so that's cool," said Jesse excitedly, then continued talking for a while about what happened from that point until they arrived onto the island, then asked Jaden about his week.

"Yeah, I guess it was really exciting. I mean, I already met Alexis and Atticus for starters, so..." began Jaden, but was stopped by Jesse.

"Woah, woah, woah!" shouted Jesse, "Step back a little. You met with Alexis? When did you... how did you..."

"Well, it's a long story..." began Jaden.

"And it's a story that'll have to wait," said Axel. "I took some countermeasures, so we should be free of anyone trying to listen in on our talk. I've also set up a few hidden cameras around the room, particularly near the doorway and balcony, and I'll give you access to the feeds later."

"Well, somebody works fast," said Jesse sarcastically.

"Of course I do, because one of has to," replied Axel, then he continued. "So, after speaking with the chancellor, we met with the agent. As we expected, she's a fellow Dragoon, and she is quite an interesting character, if I had to say. First off, as expected, the artifacts that were brought into the island are currently being set up all over the academy, however what they do or where they are is still widely unknown, since it seems only the professor and one of his knights are responsible for setting up the artifacts. Second, this flash drive we got from her contains the schematics for Crowley's base. It seems like he's got himself quite the funds, cause the security in that place is top-notch and state-of-the-art. Well, not that it matters, because even though the security is military grade, it seems like the powers of the six knights alone make it difficult for anyone to get in there, let alone a specialist like myself."

"So what's the success rate for us staging a frontal assault?" asked Jesse.

"To be honest, even with all of our advantages, still less then five percent... and that's being generous, " answered Axel. "It seems like the base is like an underground fortress, with up to six levels underground, and on top of his knights, there are several researchers and personnel, hand-picked by the professor himself, working there. Apparently, all of the important stuff happens on the lowest level, and only the professor and his most trusted knight knows what goes on down there, and based on our contact, that's where the spirit energy is at it's highest concentration, so that's going to be our goal... is what I want to say, but I don't want to take such a costly risk."

"Are their abilities that terrifying, Axel?" asked Jaden.

"Compared to the supreme king's full abilities, no," said Axel honestly. "But compared to say, Jesse's abilities over here, then I would say that they're well trained enough to rival him, if not best him,"

"...You're got me there, Axel," smiled Jesse bitterly.

"My point is that if we currently can't face them, at least not on our own," said Axel. "It might be a different story if we got the academy involved, but for their safety, and to ensure that we don't get compromised, we're on our own. Even the chancellor, who could be our biggest asset, understands this. If we can't find a way to sneak past, if not incapacitate those knights, we can't escape their powers. Speaking of which, that brings me to my third point, the knights themselves. Our contact gave a very thorough explanation on the identity, background and powers of each of the six knights, which you'll probably find in that file and I assume that you haven't read yet, Jaden." Jaden nodded, and Axel asked, "So, have you met or encountered any of the knights? I suspect that Crowley's main target seems to be you, so logically speaking, he should have sent one of his knights to either entice you, or threaten you, so which one was it, Jaden?"

"Let me answer your first question, by saying that I only met the two knights who are working as student volunteers downstairs, Fira and that blonde, British guy," answered Jaden. "As for your second question, well, you're hunch was right on the mark, Axel. A few nights ago, I had a little encounter with that girl Fira. Long story short, she kept trying to get me to join her group, I refused, we dueled and I won, but apparently I was out for a couple of days as a result," he said, purposefully omitting the details that pertain to Alexis's involvement.

"I see, so it seems that Crowley made the first move," muttered Axel, then he looked at Jaden. "Jaden, we're here to get the long story, not a summary. We need details and information, something we can cross-reference with what we have to get a better grasp of our opponents. Plus, I get the feeling that you're trying to hide something." Jaden widened his eyes at Axel's words, and Axel gave a small smile."Bullseye, huh? Jaden, you've never been good at hiding things. You need to remember that your expressions can give away everything, and if you can't mask your emotions when the time comes, then your enemies can get a lot of information out of you, and you will lose the psychological battle. I could go on, but we don't have the time for that," he said, turning on his handheld device, displaying Fira's profile on the screen, and began reciting it.

"Fira, age 16, female, red hair and blue eyes, blood type A, height is 1.7 meters, weight is 45 kilograms, origin unknown though her slight accent slips hint that she might be from Italy, and currently a second year here at duel academy. What the public know about her is that she's unbeaten here at the academy, and pro scouts have already approached her, even though she turned all of them down. Even against the pros who visit duel academy, she's never lost. Apparently, she's also one of your fangirls Jaden, and talking about you is her favorite hobby, besides swimming and cooking, though you probably already knew that," Axel said the last part in a slightly teasing tone, though Jaden didn't notice. "She's also very popular with the boys, and she's been approached by several gravure modeling agencies, though apparently she was caught saying, and I quote, 'I'm saving my body for my king... I mean, my future boyfriend, preferably a great duelist with brown hair and eyes, and who loves fried shrimp! Yeah, only he can see it!', though apparently that didn't stop the agencies from trying countless times."

"Oddly specific, isn't she?" snickered Jesse, glancing at Jaden, while Yubel thought, "_I know I wanted women to like him, but why on earth did it have to be a stalker?!_"

"Now for what we need to know, and what the public doesn't. Among the knights, she represents the 'FIRE' element in duel monsters, and is ranked number 3 on Crowley's hierarchy chart. All of her so-called subordinates are female, because apparently she doesn't want to associate with men as much as possible. As for her powers, she can apparently use..."

"Black flames," interjected Jaden.

"Exactly," said Axel. "Those flames that she can manifest can produce a heat far above the human tolerance level, and Crowley even has her use it to threaten or interrogate certain people. I mean, she hasn't killed anyone, supposedly, but a lot of the chancellor's spies suffered major burns in several areas on their body, some of which are permanent." Jaden stared blankly, unable to believe that the girl he faced in a duel would actually do something like that, but he remembered what happened to Alexis. "In duels, she's also very aggressive in her playstyle, particularly after she received her new deck from Crowley, and although she keeps a prim and proper facade in most cases, she will not hesitate to drop her facade and insult or even hurt someone if provoked, and she wears her emotions on her sleeve during that time, though that rarely ever happens. The only positive point is her obsession with you, Jay. Based on this report, everything she does, she does it under the pretext of 'For Jaden's sake', and she'll probably listen to whatever you say. If you play your cards right, you can even convince her to leave Crowley, reducing the number of troubles we might have to face soon," explained Axel. "Now, why don't you fill us in on what you're hiding before we continue?" he asked with a serious expression.

"Come on Axel, Jaden would never hide anything from us deliberately. I mean, the guy is practically an open book, and at the exception of when he got back from the dark world, and probably Yubel, he's never really kept anything from anybody, am I right Jay?" asked Jesse.

Jaden thought for a second, then said, "No, Axel is right. Something else happened that night, and as a result, I might have... no, I have changed someone's life forever. I suppose if someone had to know, you two are the best guys I can say this to, at least for now, but before I do, there's someone else I need to drag into our conversation."

"Someone else? What are you talking about?" asked Axel suspiciously, a very dark tone behind his question. "Are you saying that you disclosed confidential information to someone outside the Dragoons?"

"Now lets calm down, Axel. I doubt even Jaden would do something so risky, right Jay?" asked Jesse, though with a slight doubt.

"Yeah, even I know when I'm not supposed to do something. Come on, give me some credit," said Jaden, drawing a sigh from the other two guys. "However, I'm serious about what I said." He paused, and took a deep breath, then said, "Guys, I need to tell everything to...", but was interrupted by a knock on his door.

Jaden and Jesse flinched a little, while Axel calmly accessed the cameras he had placed all over the room using his device. Looking through the camera he had stealthily placed on the door, his tension slightly disappeared, as he saw a familiar figure standing outside. "Well, it seems like they haven't caught on to us yet," said Axel, showing the two the feed from the camera. The person who knocked on the door, was Alexis, who had come to speak with Jaden. Jesse smiled seeing an old friend again, his tension vanishing, while even Axel, despite being cautious, could not help but smile a little. Jaden on the other hand, knew that this was the perfect opportunity to tell Alexis everything, as he had once promised.

"Well Jay, aren't you gonna let her in?" asked Jesse.

"Wait, before that, I need you to both refrain from saying anything confidential. I believe that you both already know that, but a little reminder can't hurt," said Axel, as he beckoned Jaden to open the door, while hiding his device.

Jaden got up, and opened the door, to see an anxious Alexis waiting for him. "Hey Jay, you have a moment?" she asked. "We might not have a chance to talk face-to-face like this, especially after our friends get here, and with all of the planned events, I thought I'd talk to you before we all get busy."

"I don't mind at all, in fact, now's the perfect time," said Jaden. "But, you're going to have to put up with a couple of guys you know all too well," he explained as she stepped into the room.

"A couple of guys? What are you..." she began, but stopped as she saw Jesse and Axel on the wide couch. Jesse gave a wide smile, and raised his hand to greet her, while Axel looked at her with a stoic expression, but from experience, you could tell that even he was ecstatic, if only a little. Alexis saw them, and smiled brightly. "Jesse and Axel, is that you? I can't believe it, it's been ages!"

"Yeah, long time no see, Alexis. Hope you've been doing well," said Jesse.

"It's good to see you again, Alexis. You've grown a bit taller, and I can also see that you've trained your muscles a little, probably from martial arts. I'm actually quite surprised, as you didn't seem the type, but then again, you are one of the most tenacious and determined people I have ever met, and a little self-defense can't harm you," said Axel in a calculating manner.

"Thanks Jesse, I'm really glad to see you too," said Alexis, while high-fiving him. "And great to see you too, Axel," she added a little awkwardly. Urged by Jaden, she took a seat on the couch, and began chatting with the two happily, while Jaden went to check if there were any drinks he could offer them, and although he wanted to serve them some beer or sake, as they were all of legal drinking age, Yubel advised against it, considering what will happen next, so he brought them a variety of fancy juices that he found in the fridge.

As he got back, he heard Alexis say something a little unexpected. "Listen guys, I'm glad to see you all again,and I really want to catch up some more, but if you don't mind, I need to talk to Jaden in private for a while, about something a bit personal, so can you guys leave us for a couple of hours?" she asked.

Axel and Jesse looked at each other for a second, then both stared at her with a surprised expression. "Look Alexis, much as we don't mind leaving you two to chat, we've got our own urgent matter to talk with Jaden about, and unfortunately it concerns our job. You probably didn't know about this, but Axel, Jay and I all work for Kaiba Corp. as field testers, and..." began Jesse.

"I already know about Kaiba Corp. from Jaden," said Alexis. "Also, while Jaden was staying at my place, a colleague of yours, Bridget, dropped by to deliver some documents, so I already know all the specifics."

"I see. Well, in that case Lex, I won't have to bother with a long explanation," said Jesse, then he looked at her with a serious expression. "Listen, right now on this island, there's a man who plans to probably do something sinister, we're not a hundred percent sure what though. I can't reveal his name or where he is, but as a dear friend of ours, I think you should at least know the severity of the situation, and on that note, me and the guys need to discuss what we're going to do to counter that man's plans. For that reason, I would rather you wait until tomorrow to chat with Jaden." Axel listened, and while he wanted to interject, he decided to remain silent instead.

Alexis paused for a second, then asked, "By man, do you mean that professor Crowley?" Both Jesse and Axel looked surprised at the mention of his name, as she continued. "Believe me, I know everything about that. I know that he's here on this island, that he's been gathering artifacts, and that all of his plans seem to revolve around the supreme king. I also know about his knights, and the fact that they all have spiritual abilities like Jaden or Jesse, and having been personally assaulted by one, I know firsthand how dangerous they really are," she explained, the last part coming out with a slight chill in her voice.

"But how did you..." began Jesse, before Axel cut him with another question to Alexis. "Wait, so when were you attacked?"

"A few nights ago. Why?" she replied.

"I see," he replied, then looked at Jaden. "So the victim that Jaden saved a few nights ago in his encounter with Fira was you," he said. "Then that explains a lot, and also explains your hesitation, Jaden. Later on, if possible, I'd like you to re-count the events that happened that night, to help us with our investigation, after I hear Jaden's take, of course."

"Wait Axel, aren't you even a little suspicious of how she knew all of this?" asked a bewildered Jesse.

"What's there to know. She was attacked, and Jaden rescued her, and because of the events, and probably Jaden feeling a little guilty about his friend getting hurt, he explained almost everything to her, so I doubt keeping quiet or denying it would do us any good, not to mention that Jaden had to get his information and sources from somewhere, and I assume that Alexis or someone close to her, was that source. At this point, it's better to just admit it, and get as much as we can from her, am I right?" explained Axel.

Jesse still looked doubtful, but nodded reluctantly nonetheless, and said, "Yeah, you have a point."

"Despite that, this doesn't change the fact that this is a confidential matter, and while I do trust you personally Alexis, the choice isn't mine to make, as Mr. Kaiba has ordered us to be secretive, so I too am going to ask you to please leave any matters with Jaden for tomorrow," explained Axel calmly.

The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, until Jaden stepped between them and placed the drinks on the nearby table, then looked at Axel. "Axel, I know this gonna sound weird, but I need you to let her hear our conversation," he said with a serious expression.

Jesse looked at Jaden with a shocked expression, as if he had been betrayed, while Axel calmly stared at Jaden, and asked, "Any logical reason I should? Or is it that she already knows everything, and despite the constant warnings, you revealed everything about us and what we do at Kaiba Corp. willingly, thus making you a traitor, or in lesser terms, someone with 'loose lips'." He then stood up, and walked over to Jaden until they were directly in front of each other. "Of course if it's the latter, you realize that you've committed an act of betrayal, and thus will be thoroughly and swiftly dealt with by myself and Jesse. So tell me Jaden, which one is it?"

The two of them stared at each other, the tension in the room growing by the second, but contrast to the situation, Axel smiled. "Just kidding. You haven't told her anything confidential about us, that much is clear, which means you have some sort of reason for letting her in on our conversation," he said.

Jaden sighed in relief, then smiled. "Man Axel, don't do that to me! You're jokes could end up killing someone one day!" he complained.

"Wait Axel, how can you be so sure?" asked Jesse dubiously.

"A lot of reasons actually. First of all, if she knew, she would realize that the three of us being together in the room, meant that something confidential was being discussed, and she wouldn't have asked us to leave so she can talk to Jaden. Secondly, when she got into the room, and greeted us, there was no hesitation in her voice or tone, and she didn't seem like she wanted to ask us something about our job, which would have left an awkward mood in the room had she done so. Plus, I'm sure that she realizes the risks of talking about confidential matters in enemy territory. I could go on, but we're wasting time here," he explained.

"Well then Alexis, let me ask you a question," declared Jesse. "What did Jaden tell you about our job?"

"He said that you were field agents, and that you tested new dueling technology, or something like that, and travel the world," said Alexis.

Jesse looked at Axel, and he nodded. That answer was their cover story that they would give to anyone who met them, and had been arranged beforehand by the three of them. It technically wasn't a lie, and they could still safely omit all the confidential details. "So, what do you guys think?" From a normal person's standpoint, it seemed like Jesse was talking to himself, but Jesse had directed his question to his duel spirits, the crystal beasts.

"Her aura looks calm. I believe she's telling us the truth," said Sapphire Pegasus, one of Jesse's most trusted spirits.

"Ruby, ruby!" agreed Ruby.

"Yeah, I can sense her aura too," said Jesse, then he turned towards Alexis and lowered his head. "I'm really sorry for doubting you, Lex. We've been through a lot, so we have to be really careful around other people, even if they're friends. I knew you were trustworthy from the start, but I still doubted you, so I'd like too..." he said as he was looking up, but paused to see Alexis with a surprised expression on her face.

"So that's your duel spirits, Jesse. Ruby Carbuncle and Sapphire Pegasus, two staples of your deck, though they look so much more realistic right now, to the point where I can actually sense or even feel their presence in the room," she commented.

Jesse and Axel both stood up in shock. "Wait, you can... see them?" asked Jesse hesitantly, and Alexis nodded. "That's impossible! You've never been able to see them before, so how did you..." he began, before he stopped as Axel put a hand on his shoulder.

"I think that this is Jaden's reason for letting her into our conversation, am I right?" said Axel, and Jaden nodded.

"What, that's your reaction? I mean, if it was somebody we didn't know, like those knights, that's one thing, but when somebody we know to be normal, suddenly shows up, and declares she can see spirits, doesn't that seem at least a little weird to you?" asked Jesse in a high-pitched voice.

"Of course I would... if Jaden didn't already have an explanation. Not to mention that you're usually not this aggressive and out of character, even when we do discover others with similar powers and abilities. Plus, you do know that everybody has a connection to duel spirits, but for the vast majority of humanity, that ability is dormant, hidden behind a door, if I were to use simple terms, in their soul, a door that can never be opened without the correct stimulus. Chazz, for example, only awakened his powers after he ran away from the academy in his first year, and while he might have had those abilities from childhood, it was never apparent until then. Of course, a small minority of humanity, like you and Jaden, are born with your powers already active, particularly Jaden who has the supreme king as his ancestor. That's why you need to understand that anybody, whether it be friend or foe, can awaken their latent spiritual powers at any given moment, so I think you should stop overreacting, sit down, and listen to what Jaden has to say," explained Axel.

Jesse realized his mishap, then lowered his head, and apologized to Alexis again, then calmly sat down. The rest of them followed suite, and soon, silence returned to the room.

"Alright Alexis, you have to listen to me very carefully," said Axel. "What I'm going to say to you is very confidential, and only a handful of people know about our real jobs at Kaiba Corp. You've probably guessed it a while ago, but 'field agents' is just a cover-up story we use when people ask us about our jobs. Whatever I say here, stays here. Once you learn about us, your life will be targeted by those trying to get to us, and they'll want to use you, whether as a source of information, or as a hostage. More importantly, if Mr. Kaiba finds out about this, there's no telling what lengths he'll go to keep us all silent, but at a minimum, you can consider your social life to be over. You can never go back to college, will never be able to see your friends and family again, and maybe even forced into living in some undisclosed location. Of course, I'm just hypothesizing, but the point is that if you hear this, you'll be thrust into a place of no return, but I won't force you to do this. You can still walk away now, and forget this ever happened. I won't even need to hear your take on what happened a few nights ago, I'll just trust Jaden's words. I know this is a big decision, so I'll give you a little while to decide..."

"No need!" said Alexis confidently. "I've already resolved myself to hear more about what Jaden really does, because it could give me clues about these new abilities of mine. I want to... no, I need to hear this! Please, let me be a part of this, and let me help you in any way I can!" she declared with a serious expression.

Jesse sighed and shrugged his shoulders, while Axel gave a small smile. "Is that so?" he asked. "Well alright, if you've resolved yourself, then there's nothing else I can say. Normally, I'd have you sign a non-disclosure agreement, but I trust you enough. In a sense though, I thought you might say that," he said, glancing at Jaden. "Well alright, lets get down to business. Firstly though, I'd like you two to recount the events of that night."

"Well, it all started at a restaurant..." began Jaden, as he then proceeded to recall the events of a few nights ago, how he and Alexis went to dinner and how they were attacked by Fira, how Alexis was kidnapped and her motives for doing so, how he chased her to the top of the Domino City bridge and beat her in a duel that took a lot out of the both of them, and how he met the mastermind, Prof. Crowley, through still unclear means. Alexis added some information about her personal conversation with Fira prior to Jaden's arrival, while Axel took note of every vital piece of information.

"Black flames, huh? I see, that more or less matches what we have on her from our data, but the fact that she would attack you directly puzzles me a little. I mean, using you as a hostage was within expectations, but her motivation for doing so, the surprising fact that her rage and anger were directed only at you, and the fact that she didn't really bother trying to keep you from Jaden and use you to leverage the situation into her favor, all that I don't get," said Axel, voicing his thoughts.

"Well, I pretty much do," said Jesse mischievously, while glancing at Jaden.

"Well, that's fine, so now for the real reveal. Jaden, I want you to tell me how Alexis awakened her dormant powers, and I want you to be thorough. I realize that you're hesitant to talk, and I understand, but you realize that if the wrong people found out about whatever it is you did, let alone Crowley, Alexis will never be safe again, so I need you to calmly tell me every last detail. If you can't, then I'll be forced to ask Alexis to leave," said Axel seriously.

"_Damn, I knew they were going to ask that,_" he thought. "_But, if I wanna keep my promise then I have to..._"

He looked at Axel, and declared, "I'll do it, but as for exactly what happened, I'll have to rely on Yubel's take, since she was involced. Is that alright?" After getting a confirmation from Axel, he continued. "Alright, let's start from what happened after I woke up...", then as he did with first recollection, proceeded to talk about the events that happened as soon as he awoke from his slumber a couple of days after the attack, how he had entered Alexis's room as she was still unconscious, how Yubel had told him of an unproven method to potentially heal and revitalize her that involved transferring some of his powers through her, how he decided to take the gamble, which paid off as Alexis had woken up, and how they had found out of the side effect that his actions resulted in. Jaden then told Axel about the promise he made with Alexis, and his resolve to see it through to the end, feeling responsible for what he knew was his fault. All the while, Alexis was listening closely, and although she made a slightly embarrassed expression when Jaden explained the last part, she remained quiet throughout the rest.

"I see, you two have been through a lot," said Axel, his words aimed at the two of them, then he sighed. "Well, I have a feeling that at least one of us is going to end up regretting this, one way or another," he complained.

"Well, we've already gotten this far. Might as well see this through to the end," smiled Jesse.

"Alright, well what do you want to know first?" asked Axel.

"Your job. You've told me that being field agents was just a cover, so who are you really? Are you like a secret service or a spy organization, or something along those lines?" she asked.

"Straight to the point, I see. Fine, you're actually mostly correct. We are a secret organization, personally managed by none other then Seto Kaiba himself, and funded by Kaiba Corp., but we're not your typical secret organization; We don't fight terrorists, handle assassinations, espionage and sabotage, or any other crazy thing you can think of. We handle issues that are of a more 'supernatural' nature, and more specifically, we mainly deal with a certain mysterious antagonist, one you know all too well from your last year at duel academy," explained Axel.

"Wait, you don't mean... darkness?! But didn't Jaden finish 'it' off at the end. I mean, he freed Fujiwara who was the host, and practically saved us all, so how? Why?" she asked, stunned and confused.

"Yeah, well, we don't know much about that either. Just that, Fujiwara was apparently one of many hosts, and as long as we don't track them down, darkness will never stop rising. You know, that last part sounded kind of menacing," he explained. "Even now, we've only ever stopped the agents of darkness, guys like 'Trueman', and they just keep coming back whether to find new hosts, or to eliminate anyone troublesome, or even to just attack us head-on, for all it's worth."

"Sad thing is that while we've beaten any agents we've come across, they still manage to wreak havoc wherever they go, not to mention the fact that they probably found other hosts behind our backs. Our life sure is a hard one," commented Jesse.

"So how did it happen? How did Kaiba form your organization, and how did you and Jaden become involved?" she asked.

"Well, do you want the long version, or the summarized one? The long version might take a while, but I can tell you everything, even the small stuff, while on the other hand, the shorter version will be a lot more generalized, but I guarantee that you'll know enough to paint a vivid picture of the rest of the happenings. Plus, Jaden can fill you in at a later date. So, which will it be?" he asked.

"I just want to learn more about what you do. I want to learn a lot more about what the true purpose of darkness is, and how it might relate to me and my powers in the future. And if possible, I want to be prepared for the worst, if 'they' truly will use me as a hostage to get to Jaden and the rest of you. Specifics aren't really necessary, though, just tell me what I want and need to know," she declared.

"Summarized it is," said Axel, he said as he recounted the events that led to the creation of the Dragoons.

* * *

"Well, back in your last year, you remember that Jaden left the academy abruptly for a short while, and it was at that time that darkness finally made it's true move, correct? Well, what you don't know is that an incident happened related to darkness over at Kaiba Corporation's main HQ in Domino, and while Jaden dealt with it, Kaiba Corp. was completely blown up in the process, a specific story I don't want to get into right now. In any case, after found out about the incident, well if you skip all of the hissy fits, he started to research more about this mysterious enemy, though he is a skeptical person and would never admit that 'it' is a supernatural enemy. Still, he classified darkness as a dangerous organization, and after realizing that dueling was the only way to beat darkness, he began to gather some of the strongest duelists in the world, prioritizing those who were not in the pro leagues, or those with spiritual powers like Jaden and Jesse, and began to set his plan in motion. And thus, the 'Dragoons' were born, 'Dragoons' meaning dragon knights, a fitting name given his obsession with dragons."

"Around three to four months after it was blown up, Kaiba Corp. was surprisingly rebuilt, bigger and better then ever. At that time, I was taking jobs from Maximillion Pegasus, working as a freelance agent for a variety of security or espionage details, and one day, I was called to Mr. Pegasus's office, where to my surprise, Seto Kaiba was there. They were in the middle of a conversation, and when I stepped in, called me over to him, and introduced me to Seto Kaiba. From there, it was just a formal discussion, that Kaiba was forming a group of duelist elites to combat this 'organization', and that he was recommending me for one of the limited spots on that team. Kaiba wasn't convinced, however, and decided to put me up to a little test, the contents of which I'd rather keep to myself for now. All I can say is that I barely passed, and officially became the first member of the Dragoons."

"Time passed, and he started to add more members to the group. Around this time, Kaiba asked me to recommend a few of the 'middle-class' duelists to join the Dragoons. Of course, my decision was clear; For me, there were two guys I would want to work with the most: Jesse Anderson and Jaden Yuki. Both had faced darkness before, and Jaden had actually won. Jesse was surprisingly easy to find, seeing as he was pursuing his goal of freeing and releasing duel spirits from those who would use them for nefarious purposes. I actually found him in Domino when I was searching, and convincing him to join was actually pretty easy. He knew about darkness, and helping the Dragoons was helping himself protect his beloved duel spirits, so it was a win-win. Kaiba tested him, he passed, and the two of us formed a team, with the intention of adding one more member, who I think you know very well."

"Of course, Jaden was a hard man to find, as I'm sure you're already aware. Honestly, it took us almost an entire year to actually track him down. Every sighting, every incident, whether it was Venice or Brazil, he appeared and disappeared like the wind. It seemed like every time we got close, he was one step ahead, and whether it was deliberate or not, the bottom line is that we could never catch him. Even I have to admit, that the only reason we caught up in the first place, was that he was struggling against his enemy, long enough for us to catch up and help. After that, the story is pretty straightforward; After some hard convincing, Jaden joined up, with surprising ease I might add, considering Kaiba took him without so much as an interview, though Sheppard might have indirectly helped. In any case, Jaden joined up with us, and we formed our three-man cell, taking out our foes and spending time with each other. I'd go over all of our adventures, but it'll take quite a while to say all of them, so let's just say that we kept doing our job from then, right until about a week ago."

"As for how this relates to you, well from what I know, all of the confirmed hosts of darkness all share one distinct trait; One way or another, they all have spiritual powers similar to Jaden's or even yours. That's why I told you that starting now, darkness can and will target you for a variety of reasons, so you have to be prepared for the worst. Luckily for you, you've only awakened, so I doubt that darkness has noticed, but I've been wrong before. Alexis, I advise you not to use your powers or do anything that might arose suspicion in public. After all, it's highly likely that Crowley might not be the only enemy on the island," he finished, then closed his eyes.

Silence filled the room. "_So that's it. That's why Jaden was so worried, or at least one of the reasons for that. I have become a target, and not just any target, but a very valuable one. What should I do?_" Alexis thought, a serious expression on her face.

"Don't worry, lex," smiled Jesse, as he wrapped his arm around Jaden's shoulder. "Me and Jay will teach you the basics, and you'll be able to handle your powers in no time!"

"Yeah, Jesse's right," added Jaden. "How about we take an hour every night dedicated to training?" he suggested.

"Great idea, Jay! Axel can do his thing for an hour, while we practice," said Jesse. "So, what d'ya say, Alexis? You in?"

"Damn straight I am," she replied with no hesitation, then she bowed her head. "Please teach me what you know,"she requested politely.

"Then it's decided. An hour after every day, we'll meet here. Alexis will practice self-control of her powers with you two, while I'll do surveillance. Jesse will join me as soon as you're done," ordered Axel.

"What about me?" asked Jaden.

"You have to stay put after training. They're watching you after all," said Axel. "Best to not give them any open invitations, if you know what I mean." Then he stood up and faced Alexis and asked, "Well, anything else you want to ask?"

"How many hosts are there?" she asked.

"More then we know, less then you think," said Axel vaguely. "I think that covers everything, so now you know the truth. The question is what do you intend to do with it?"

"If you're implying that I would reveal your secrets, then that contradicts what you said earlier about trust, right?" she asked.

"That's not what I meant," said Axel calmly. "I just want to know how you're going to use the information. It is a lot to swallow, after all."

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked with a defiant smile. "I'm going to practice controlling and using my powers, even after Jaden and Jesse finish teaching me, and I'm going to improve as a duelist. Then, I'll be able to stand side-by-side with Jaden, and help you guys fight!" she declared passionately.

"Lex, you do realize that one of your statements was a akin to a confession, right?" said Jesse with a naughty smile.

"What are you...!" she began, then blushed as she realized. "_Oh god! I just said it, to stand side-by-side, isn't that just like asking to be with him forever?! I mean, of course I wanted to confess, but not like this! I got too caught up in the moment! How do I get out of this one?_" she though frantically.

"Lex," said Jaden.

"Y-yeah," she replied hesitantly. "_Did it happen? Did he finally realize my feelings? I didn't want him to know like this, but if this will bring us together, then..._". Jaden calmly moved towards Alexis with a serious expression. Alexis, already embarrassed by her own thoughts, panicked as Jaden walked over.

Once he approached her however, he placed his hand on her shoulder, and smiled. "I'm so glad you want to help us fight the darkness, Lex! Let's fight on the battlefield together as comrades who share a spiritual bond!" he declared happily.

Alexis froze up all over, her embarrassment turning into sheer disbelief, and her expression turning cold. Axel sighed at the sight in disregard, while Jesse thought, "_Ouch. Alexis just got friend zoned. That was a b****slap right there. Smooth Jay, real smooth,_" while shaking his head with a facepalm.

"Huh, what's wrong guys? Why are you all making shocked expressions?" asked Jaden cluelessly.

"Nothing Jay. Absolutely nothing at all," said Alexis with a blank expression as she got up, removing Jaden's hand, and walking to the door. "Thank you guys for trusting me with your secret. I now know a lot more about what I should do from now, and I'm a lot closer to my goal... or so I thought until a minute ago. I'll leave you to your planning, while I go check to see if anyone else got here, but I'll make sure to come back at the same time tomorrow for my training. Well, good night," she stated, then left his room.

"Wait, I don't get what's going on?" asked Jaden. "Isn't she happy that we get to fight together?"

Jesse got up and wrapped his arm around Jaden's shoulder. "Jaden, if I didn't know you, and I wasn't your friend, chances are I would've punched you just now," said Jesse with a sigh.

"Huh, what are you saying?" asked Jaden, panic starting to creep in. "_Dense oaf,_" were the words he heard in his head, probably from Yubel.

"Alright, playtime is over," said Axel, breaking the somber mood in the room. "Now, let's get back to the briefing."

"Wait, shouldn't Jaden run after her?" asked Jesse.

"Not the time, we're busy," responded Axel. "And besides, while I'm no expert in that type of stuff, I know very well that it'll probably make things worse right now. Let's just get back to work."

Jesse shrugged his shoulders and sat down, while Jaden pondered the meaning of Axel's last sentence as he followed suit, preparing themselves for the potential battles ahead.

* * *

**Part 3**

"_Morning already, huh?_" thought Jaden, as he slowly arose from his bed. He recalled how the rest of the evening had gone after Alexis left. The trio discussed several topics, including the surprising location of their base, among others. By the time they had finished, an hour had passed, and from Jaden's window, they saw that their friends had arrived. Jesse and Axel decided to wait for them in the lobby, while Jaden decided to greet them in the morning. In the end, they decided that Jaden would perform activities with the others as planned, while Axel and Jesse tried to dig up whatever they could, and hopefully, infiltrate their base.

"But to think that their base was there. Man, what was that professor thinking?" said Jaden to himself.

"Probably his idea of a twisted joke. Or perhaps he's trying to send a hidden message to you, or maybe even trying to keep you away. You don't exactly have fond memories of the place after all," said Yubel who appeared next to him.

"Well, when you put it that way, I can only think of it as a bad joke," sighed Jaden. "Anyways, Axel and Jesse will deal with that, since I have more pressing matters to take care of. I mean, I bet my friends are pretty pissed that I left them hanging last night."

"Well, maybe..." said Yubel, recalling what happened after Jaden had gone to sleep. She had left Jaden for a bit to check out her surroundings, trying to prevent an incident similar to when Fira had attacked them, and in doing so, indirectly (or so she says) heard the conversation between all of Jaden's friends who had just arrived, greeting each other casually. It remained that way, until one of them spoke up about Jaden, asking why he hadn't come out to greet them, while Axel and Jesse telling them that he was really tired, and that he said that he'd see them at breakfast. Although there was a slightly big uproar afterwords, Yubel decided to stop listening and continued surveying her close surroundings until morning, where she returned to Jaden's room.

"In any case, it's time I faced them," said Jaden as he got out of bed. "I haven't seen them for two and a half years, I kept trying to push them away, and I hadn't even contacted them until a week ago. Despite all of that, I've already resolved myself to greet them, to apologize for any trouble I caused and to get back to the good old days when everyone got along. I just hope that everybody's in a forgiving mood... nah, I'm sure it'll be fine." He reassured himself, then took a shower, dressed up in some casual clothes including a red jacket, then took a deep breath, and left his room. "Well, here goes nothing,"

* * *

As he headed for the elevator, he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Well, if it isn't Mr. popular," said the male voice behind him. As he turned around, he saw the face of a formally dressed guy he knew all too well.

"Yo, long time no see," greeted Aster Phoenix, as he walked towards him.

"Aster! It's great to see you too! Man, you haven't changed all that much," said Jaden as he high-fived one of his old friends.

"I'll take that as a compliment. As for you, you seem like a man on a mission, a man who's seen all of the dangers of the world and still keeps coming back for more. But enough about you, shall we get going?" asked Aster.

As the two of them were heading down, Jaden noticed something. "Hey Aster, you don't seem all that surprised to see me. I mean, I expected you to be your usual calm self, and that you wouldn't jump out like Syrus or something, but you're acting like we've been meeting up regularly, and you're you know, not surprised... Damn it, now my head's spinning," he tried to ask.

"Well what did you expect?" asked Aster. "I'm the type of person who's difficult to piss off and even more so to catch off guard. Plus, I already knew you were coming back, so there's not really a surprise anymore, though I was a little surprised that you didn't show up last night to greet us. Lastly, I wasn't exactly close to you as a friend to the level that say Syrus or Chazz would be. We're still friends of course, just not in the same way as with the others."

"Well, when you put it that way..."said Jaden.

"Besides, you're here now, and that's what matters. Honestly, I was a little nervous about facing you, wondering how I would talk to you when I saw you again, but I guess I was worrying for nothing. Anyways, you should prepare yourself; You're lucky that I'm not the type of person to get emotional over a reunion, but I can't say the same for everyone else. There was a bit of an uproar while you were having your beauty sleep, and well things got out of hand... you know what, I'll just leave it as a surprise,"said Aster with a small wink. "Oh, we're already on the ground floor. Well, after you Jaden," he said as the elevator doors opened.

The two of them walked over to the lounge for breakfast, but the closer they got, the more nervous and excited Jaden began to feel. The overwhelming tension matched only by his unwavering enthusiasm, as he prepared himself for what was to come, but nothing could prepare him for what came next. As he stepped into the lounge, he heard the sound of thundering footsteps racing towards him from behind. As he hesitantly looked back, he saw the figures of two of his best friends racing towards him at an unnatural speed.

"BROOOOO!" screamed Syrus and Hassleberry, tears flowing from their eyes at an alarming speed (as well as a bit of snot).

"Sy and Hassleberry! Wait you two, I know that we haven't seen each other in a while, but I think you both need to chill and... OMPH!" Jaden tried to slow his friends down, knowing the potential effects of them ramming into him, but was a little too slow, as he received the full impact of his two friends head-on (Aster managed to gracefully step out of the way at the last second). They rolled forward in a comedic fashion, passing through the lounge, all the way into the female side of the hot springs, falling inside with a big splash.

After a few seconds, the three of them jumped out of the spring, shouting "HOT!" and landed on the nearby floor. Meanwhile, Aster who was looking on, poured a cup of coffee for himself while shaking his head. "_Truly a trio of idiots,_" he thought.

"Ow, why the hell did you guys have to rush into me like that?" asked Jaden, nursing the injury on his leg.

"B-bro, it really is you. I'm not dreaming, am I?" asked Syrus, as he slowly got up, while rubbing his head.

"Well, yeah. I mean, who else would I be, Sy?" asked Jaden cheerfully.

"I'm still in disbelief, but that voice sounds just like big bro," said Hasselberry.

"Yeah, I've always sounded like this... I mean, I think I have," said Jaden, starting to doubt his own credibility.

Syrus and Hasselberry looked at each other, then started tearing up again, and ran over to Jaden, shouting, "BRO!", while crying.

"Come on guys, don't start crying," said Jaden, as his two friends embraced him. "We're all grown-ups now, so... I mean, I missed you guys too and stuff, but I... I mean , it's not right to..." he tried to find the words to say, but they wouldn't come out. Luckily, his two friends understood his intentions.

"Bro's right. We're not kids anymore, we're men, and men don't cry," declared Syrus confidently. 'Yeah, even though this is a heartfelt reunion between us and our bro, we've gotta stay strong like a triceratops," declared Hasselberry.

"Not what I was going for, but okay," said Jaden with a bitter laugh, then he smiled as Syrus and Hasselberry helped him off the ground. "But honestly, I'm so glad I got to see my two best friends again. I... was always worried that I'd never see you guys again, so I'm actually grateful that I could see you guys again."

"Bro," said Syrus, while Hasselberry simply patted Jaden on the back slightly violently, saying, "Oh come on big bro, don't say something so embarrassing and slightly pessimistic. I'm sure we would've met up again at some point, but in any case, I'm kind of glad too."

"Well, the trio-de-losers is back together. Man, you guys look like a wet mess. What, were you guys trying to skinny dip together?" mocked a voice behind them.

"Shut it Chazz, it's not like that!" shouted Syrus, defending himself.

"Whatever, it's not my problem that a lack of women in your life got to you that hard, you pathetic virgin," said Chazz.

"Why you, I'm gonna... MMPH!" began Syrus, before Hasselberry grabbed him from behind before a fight ensued.

"Now now, I'm sure Chazz is just messing around like usual, ain't that right, Chazz?" asked Hasselberry.

"Whatever," replied Chazz, as he turned his focus towards Jaden. "So, you're finally back? You know, after all of these years, it's sad that you still look like the same old goof I knew back at the academy."

"And you still look like that same as ever, though you did get a little taller, I guess," replied Jaden. "Great to see ya, Chazz. How are the Ojama bros getting along? They're still with you, right?"

"Hah, as if I could get rid of those pests even if I wanted to. Still, they do serve a purpose," said Chazz.

As he did, Ojama yellow emerged from behind Chazz, wearing it's usual bikini-style underwear. "Oh, boss, you do care," it said, while crying.

"Shut up," muttered Chazz, as he tried to shoo the spirit away.

"Nice to see you again too, Jaden. You know, the boss won't say it, but he was actually looking forward to meeting you, that he was smiling the whole way here," it said happily while being chased.

"I said shut up, damn it!" shouted Chazz, trying to catch the spirit with his hands.

"Mr. Princeton, I've brought you a latte, just like you asked and... what are you doing?" asked a female voice, approaching their location.

"Can't you see, Chris?" said Chazz, as if stating the obvious. "I'm trying to grab this little yellow bastard and shut it up!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Princeton, but I still can't see those spirits you're talking about. Why don't you ignore it like you usually do, and come get some breakfast. Apparently, the chancellor has really gone all-out preparing this for us," she suggested.

"Yeah, whatever," he said. "Oh, and Jaden, if you wanna chat with a real pro, you're welcome to sit at my table. You should be honored; not many people get to enjoy a meal with a pro," he added, then left for his table.

Chris then approached the group. "I'm sorry for my boss's tsundere tendencies, but you know that he's actually really happy to be here, the happiest I've seen him in months," she explained.

"Oh, don't mind it. We're all used to Chazz playing hardball around us," smiled Jaden. "Um, I don't think I've ever met you before, though."

"Oh right, introductions," she said, flustered at the fact that she had forgotten, then she produced a card from her pink purse. "Hello there, Mr. Yuki. I'm Christina, but you can call me Chris for short. I'm about the same age as you, and as you can see from my outfit, I love the color pink. I've been employed by the Princeton Corporation to watch over their rising star, Chazz, as his attendant and agent. Here's my card," she said formally, giving Jaden her card.

"Thanks. Nice to meet you too, Chris," said Jaden, as he took her card. "I hope you and I get along in the future as friends. You can drop the formalities and call me Jaden, by the way. Formalities really don't sit well with me."

"Sure, if you want," she said with a smile, then she bowed. "Also, thank you for being such good friends with Mr. Princeton. He'll never admit it, but he treasures his bonds with all of you, even if he doesn't show it upfront."

"Don't worry, we already know that," said Jaden. "It's one of the things that hasn't changed since high school." He and the others then got up, and he said to Syrus and Hasselberry, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna go change before... ACHOO!" before sneezing from the cold.

"Yeah, it ain't a good idea to stay like this," said Hasselberry, while shaking.

"Well, if you'll excuse us, Chris," said Jaden, then he and the others dashed towards the elevator, heading back to their rooms for a quick change.

As she saw them rushing over, she thought,"_So that's Jaden Yuki? He has a really warm personality, and it's no wonder Chazz likes him so,_" before frowning. "_Maybe if it's him, then I might be able to save her before..._"

"Hey Chris, you gonna eat or what?" asked Chazz from behind her.

"Coming," she said, as she took one final glance at the elevator, then headed towards Chazz.

* * *

"Man, I know you guys are happy to see me and all, but seriously show some restraint. We're lucky we haven't caught a cold...yet," said Jaden, scolding the pair.

"We're sorry, bro," said Syrus and Hasselberry in unison. The three of them had changed into more comfortable clothes, and were heading back down on the elevator. While Jaden had considered taking another shower to be safe, he decided that he was out of time, and so he just quickly changed.

"Come on, I can't stay mad at you guys. Or anybody, really," smiled Jaden.

"_Where was that personality when I was antagonizing you,_" thought Yubel secretly with a sigh.

"Still, I believe that I speak for both of us when I say, welcome back bro. We've all missed ya," said Hasselberry cheerfully.

"I missed you guys too. I would have contacted you before, but..."

"It's alright, bro. Syrus told us about the whole 'phone troubles' you had," said Hasselberry.

"Well yeah, there was that, but I never really attempted to contact you guys or even come visit. If anything, I thought a lot of you would be mad at me for shunning you all these years, and I'm actually really happy that's not the case," explained Jaden.

"Of course not, bro! We all know that you've got you're... circumstances, and that it would be difficult for you to see us. Plus, all of us have been busy with our lives, so you're not the only one at fault, right sarge?" asked Syrus.

"Yeah. Syrus has been busy in the pros, and I've been busy using my dino-digging skills to search for fossils and ancient ruins with Jim, so we all have our circumstances," agreed Hasselberry.

"But if you really wanna make it up to us, then you can spend the whole reunion hanging out, from day to night, morning to evening. Oh, and we have to exchange contact details, and hopefully you won't lose them this time. Sound good?" requested Syrus with a smile.

"Yeah, I'd love to," said Jaden happily, as they stepped out of the elevator for the second time that day. Once they arrived back at the lounge, they noticed that there were several other familiar people present, enjoying a hearty breakfast.

"Well, look what the dingo brought in," said Jim, who waved over to Jaden and co. "G'day mate, and lovely to see again. Fancy joining us for breakfast?" he said with a wink. The other two at the table, Axel and Jesse, simply smiled.

"Jim! It's great to see you too man, and yes, I'd love to join you for breakfast!" said Jaden enthusiastically, as he took a seat, while Syrus and Hasselberry followed suit. As he sat down, Jaden noticed something. "Huh, wasn't Karen supposed to be with you? I mean, I don't see her on your back, and I kind of wanted to say hi!" Karen was Jim's crocodile friend, and to him personally, she was family. An incident happened between the two when they first met in Jim's youth, resulting in Jim losing the sight in his right eye, but thanks to that, an unbreakable bond was born. Jaden was one of the rare people who managed to befriend her safely.

"Oh, Karen. You do realize that it's winter, and she's cold-blooded, correct? If anything, I would have been better off leaving her at home, but she's my family, so I couldn't leave her behind. Luckily, our rooms have central heating, so she should be fine for the time being. Don't worry, you can pass by my room later, and give your greetings personally. I'm sure she'll be just as thrilled to see you again as I am," explained Jim. "Well, don't mind us, go have a crack at that make-your-own omelet bar. After all, the drool on your faces doesn't look fake."

"Oh, sorry about that," said Jaden, wiping away his drool. "Also, morning Jesse, Axel. Sorry if it seemed like I forgot you guys."

"Wait Jay, why is it that you don't seem surprised to see those two?" asked Syrus.

"Well, that's cause we've been working together this whole time, so seeing them now really doesn't surprise me, you know," said Jaden.

"Work with them? What do you mean..."

"Just get going, Sy. You can hear the story later," said Jesse.

As Jaden, Hasselberry and Syrus moved on to the buffet table, the morning continued to roll-on. Jaden and co. enjoyed a hearty breakfast, all the while meeting some familiar faces, including Sartorius, who was overjoyed to see Jaden again in his own way, and Professor Bonaparte and his son Marcel, who were there on the insistence of Professor Crowler. After he piled up his dishes (an army's worth to be exact), he regrouped with Syrus and Hasselberry, and they sat down at Jim's table, and they began to swap stories about their various adventures; Syrus talking about the pro league, Hasselberry and Jim talking about their archaeological excursions, Axel and Jesse explaining the 'details' of their Kaiba Corp. work(omitting the necessary details of course), and Jaden talking about his life before that. At that moment, an unexpected person approached their table.

"Well, well, if it isn't Jaden Yuki himself, finally back from the dead," came the voice from their side. Jaden looked to his right, to see Zane Truesdale, a rival of his and Syrus's older brother, standing before him. "Greetings, Jaden. I do hope you've been well," he said.

"Zane! Yeah, I've been great, but you look amazing. Just imagine, when I last saw you, you looked like a man on the brink of death, and yet here you are, healthy and better then ever," said Jaden happily, as he jumped up to greet Zane. He offered a handshake, which Zane took. "I even heard that you're returning to the pro leagues soon, and I can't wait! Congrats!"

"Thank you. Coming from you Jaden, that's a big compliment. Those years of pain and suffering caused by the cyberdark style of dueling are finally behind me, and I hope it stays that way, but let me correct you on something; My return to dueling will happen on the final day of the reunion, a day before Christmas eve, and it seems like my opponent is a one-of-a-kind duelist," explained Zane.

"Really, who is that duelist?" asked Jaden.

"Wait, you don't know who? Did the chancellor not inform you of anything?" asked Zane with a surprised look.

"No, he never really told me anything about a duel featuring you or anything like that," responded Jaden. "But seriously, who's your opponent?"

"..." Zane stared at Jaden for a second, seemingly thinking about something, but he them smiled, and said, "I'll leave it to your imagination," then proceeded to leave their table, before he stopped, and said, "Though I will tell you this; He's an opponent I've been wanting a rematch with for years. If you want to know more, then wait for the chancellor's announcement at the gala tonight. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to speak with an old friend. See you later, and good to have you back, Jaden", then he calmly walked away.

"What was that all about?" asked Hasselberry.

"I don't know, so I guess we'll have to see," said Jaden, as he went back to eating.

Alexis came down a few minutes later, and walked over to their table, followed by Mac. "Hey guys, good morning," she said.

"Morning!" smiled Jaden.

"Good morning, tomorrow girl," replied Jim, while Axel simply nodded, and Jesse waved with a smile.

"Mornin' lex," greeted Hasselberry, while Syrus was fidgeting around like crazy. "What's up with you?" asked Hasselberry. "Are you still hung up about last night's 'blunder'?"

"Hiya lex. What a... lovely morning... we're having," sputtered Syrus.

"Huh, what's wrong with Sy? Why's he so embarassed all of a sudden?" asked Jaden.

"Oh Jay, you and your questions," said Jesse next to him, as he wrapped his arm around Jaden's shoulder and brought him close. "_Actually, while you were asleep, Alexis, Atticus, his girlfriend Mac, Axel and I greeted the other guys when they arrived. When Syrus saw Alexis, he initially tried to go up and greet her, but Chazz, trying to do the same, got in his way, or rather, they got into each others way, resulting in a small tussle, that resulted in both their pants dropping and Alexis taking a look at their... surprisingly lacking manhood, if you know what I mean. Then, she gave them the death stare and a severe scolding, the words 'perverts' and 'children' being thrown around. I know that they had the s*** scared out of them, and their asses were exposed, but man, was it funny for the rest of us. Heck, even Axel laughed a little!_" whispered Jesse with a snicker.

"_Ouch. But he looked fine while we were eating,_" whispered Jaden.

"_Well, I guess the feeling of wanting to see his big bro helped him overcome his trauma. That, and the fact that Alexis told us that if we ever bring this up or laugh about it, she'd force all of us to expose our... valuables, and believe me, I wouldn't wanna be that guy,_" whispered Jesse, shuddering.

"Yes it is, Syrus. I do hope you're wearing some underwear today. Wouldn't want you to freeze down there," she said with an icy glare.

"Y-yes ma'am," said Syrus dejectedly, slowly retreating into his seat.

"Now, now, let's all just enjoy breakfast, and forget about what happened for now," said Mac, trying to mediate. "Alexis, I think I see Jasmine and Mindy over there. Let's go over and join them, and Syrus, was it. It was an accident, albeit a...big one. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll forgive you... eventually, so just enjoy your day and don't think too much on it," she added, while pushing Alexis to the girl's table.

"By the way bro, Alexis greeted you normally. What's that about?" asked Hasselberry, while trying to soothe Syrus.

"Oh, they were on the same ferry here. They ran into each other there," said Jesse before Jaden opened his mouth.

"Oh, well that makes sense," said Hasselberry, then he went back to soothing Syrus.

"_Hey Jesse, why did ya lie to him?_" whispered Jaden.

"..." Jesse looked at Jaden in disbelief, then shook his head and said, "_You do know that there are a lot of Alexis fanboys in the academy, Chazz and Syrus included. If they heard that she had a boy in her house, how do you think they'd react? You'd be public enemy number one,_" replied Jesse. "_Course, there's another reason, but I'd rather not make an enemy out of Alexis right now. I like my manhood where it is, thank you._"

"_Ok,_" replied Jaden, then he turned his attention to Jim. "By the way Jim, you mentioned that there was one other person who came with you. Who was it..."

"MY PRINCE!" Just as Jaden was about to finish his question, a loud, girlish voice rang out from across the hall. Jaden and everybody else turned their attention to the source, and saw a familiar girl with darkish-blue hair staring in Jaden's direction. Jaden instantly cringed with a weird smile, while the others simply sighed and went back to their usual business.

"Hey Blair," Jaden said weakly, waving. The instant he said that, Blair raced over to his seat and lunged towards him. "Oh god, not again!" he said in a panic, and attempted to leave his seat, but was held back by Jesse. "Jesse, what the hell?!"

"Now now Jay, you shouldn't let a lady embarrass herself anymore then that, am I right?" said Jesse with an amused look.

"That's not it! It's just... OMPH!" he began, but was too late, as Blair flew at him, the force of which knocked both of them over to the ground. Both of them landed on top of each other.

"Jaden, my prince. I missed you so much. Now, we'll be together forever, and I'll never let you go,"she said, rubbing her head on his chest like a kitten.

"Heh, nice to see again too, Blair. Please go easy on me,"said Jaden with a bitter laugh. Everyone else around them, already familiar with their antics, simply smiled wryly or sighed. All the while, Yubel was watching the scene unfold from above.

"_You know, I honestly forgot about that obsessive, maiden-like fangirl,_" she thought with a sigh, then gave a confident smile. "_On the other hand, this might finally give Jaden and Alexis the push they both needed. The ball is in your court, girl. Now, how will you react?_" she continued, her sight directed at Alexis, who unlike the others, was frowning heavily at the scene. And thus, the morning of the first day rolled on.

* * *

Time continued to flow as the day moved along. Jaden, Syrus and co. spent the rest of the day cooped up in their rooms, swapping stories, having a few casual duels, eating snacks, and many more activities. Originally, they were planning on paying a visit to their old Slifer dorm, for old time's sake, but the chancellor had asked them to hold off on that until the next day, as they were still planning a variety of activities and things over at the academy, and seeing that the gala would take place over at the academy's main dueling arena, they'd have their chance later.

Jaden told stories of his adventures (of the ones he could anyways), Syrus and Chazz both talked about their duels and experiences in the pro league, at times gloating their achievements, and at times, mocking each other, though Jaden could tell that at the very least, they respected one another. Time flew, and eventually, it became 5 pm, which meant that they had to gather at the lobby where they would be escorted to the gala, which would last for a couple of hours. Jaden was standing below, talking to Sartoruis about an issue of concern, while Syrus and Chazz were secretly admiring Alexis's figure in a dress, Atticus and Mac were chatting with Hasselberry and Blair, and Jim was having a pleasant conversation with Axel and Jesse. Zane and Aster had gone on ahead for reasons they defined as 'personal'. Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best, which made Jaden feel out of place, much like at the restaurant a few days ago.

"... So, I don't really know what to do. I'm well aware that Aster and my sister have something going on between them, and I have tried to keep my distance, hoping that they would come reveal this to me, but Aster has surprisingly remained quiet. I'm a little confused as to how I should handle this. Should I just come out and confess that I know what's going on, or should I continue to play coy?" asked Sartorius, explaining his situation.

"Um, that's nice and all, but should you really be telling me this? I mean, I'm non expert when it comes to this stuff, and I'm sure Atticus or one of the girls would have been a much better choice to talk about this topic," replied Jaden.

"Well, I understand that romance is not a... favored topic of yours, but I really don't know the others as well as you do, and the only other person I can talk to is a main character in my dramatic dilemma, so... not a lot of options, you see," explained Sartorius.

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess you're right, but don't expect my advice to hit home," said Jaden, and after Sartorius nodded, he continued. "I'm actually a little confused, cause I never took Aster for the shy type, and while he is a tricky guy, he is honest... most of the time, so I have a feeling that he's hiding something, probably something that he's a little too unwilling to share. I mean, I don't think it's the case, but I think that thing he's trying to hide his embarrassment, cause it must be pretty embarrassing if he had to hide it from one of his best friends, don't you think?"

"Hm, I see. That does make a lot of sense actually, but what could be so embarrassing that not only Aster, but my sister couldn't tell me?" pondered Sartorius.

"Well, I don't know that much, cause you know, I'm not that insightful, but I believe that you should be honest to him. After all, as best friends, I'm sure he'll be comfortable talking if you confess to him gently, and while you might not like what you hear, I'm sure your bond with him will only grow stronger," declared Jaden confidently.

"I see, honesty. Truly, this answer best fits your personality, and while it might not fit my own, I am willing to at least give it a try. Alright, I'll speak to him tonight after the gala," declared Sartorius, then he bowed. "Thank you for your council, Jaden."

"N-no, you don't have to bow. My opinion isn't all that important, I'm sure," stuttered Jaden.

A couple of minutes later, a couple of youthful staff members entered the lobby. "A big hello to all of our precious alumni. M-My name is Mira Krantz, third year Obelisk Blue student a-and current student council president," said the young lady with a slight stutter who stood at the front. She had flowing chestnut hair and wore a somewhat thick pair of glasses, but anyone could tell that under that pair was a pretty cute face. "Um, although I might be inexperienced, I am here to escort you to the event, and um... well I..." she tried to get the words out of her mouth, but kept failing to do so, and began to blush out of embarrassment. Behind him, Jaden could hear Chazz and Syrus whispering.

"_So is she one of those shy, innocent types? You know the ones that are all the rage in novels these days?_"

"_Beats me, Sy, but she's sure acting like one. She's actually pretty cute, though not enough to match with any of the girls in here. Are they sure she's the right fit to be student president?_"

"_Well, to be fair, she does seem like the type that guys wanna protect. I mean, a lot of guys wanna have a girlfriend they can show their manly side to, especially these pure, innocent ones, am I right? Since this school is mostly male, maybe that's what worked in her favor?_"

"_Maybe... Wait, third year? Did we have a first year like that back in our last year? I mean, none of the freshmen stood out..._"

"_Wow, from all that fighting earlier, you honestly couldn't tell that they're pretty close,_" thought Jaden.

One of the two boys who came with her went next to her, and began to whisper in her ear. "Oh, um right," she said after the boy stepped back. "My fellow council members and I will guide you to the event happening at the main academy building. Several trolleys are waiting outside to escort you to the event. Please pair up in groups of 3 or 4, and head out to the front gate, and we will allocate you into the trolleys in turn. Again, though I might be inexperienced, I promise to do my best to answer any questions you might have and support you in any way possible. If you have any concerns, please feel free to consult them with myself or with my colleagues, Samuel and Kenji over here. With that, let us please head out, and I hope you enjoy your evening," she finished with such poise, you wouldn't think that she was stuttering at the beginning.

The boys then introduced themselves. The first one, Samuel, was a tall, blonde young man with a carefree smile, and he waved at them as he was introduced, while the second guy, Kenji, had blach hair and eyes, and looked calm and poised. He was the one who whispered in Mira's ear, and he simply bowed his head upon introduction. As the council turned and walked outside, they saw Mira fidgeting and shaking, while the two guys were trying to comfort her, indicating that she had been pushing herself.

The group simply nodded while smiling at the council's introduction, then they assigned themselves into groups, with Jaden pairing up with Syrus, Hasselberry, and Blair who talked (forced) her way into Jaden's group. After that, the entire group got into their assigned trolley, and they took off heading for the academy's main building. The ride felt pleasant, as the calm, early evening breeze gave them a sense of inner peace and relaxation. Jaden also enjoyed the nostalgic views with his pals, while Blair was clinging onto Jaden the whole trip, much to Hasselberry's silent dismay. After a short while, they arrived at their destination, and left the trolley. Led by the three council members, the group made their way into the building, prepared for the festivities ahead. For Jaden though, he was not prepared for what would come next.

* * *

"Wow!"

Jaden and the others could not hide their amazement upon seeing the main auditorium transformed into a high-class ballroom. Once they entered, they saw a host of the academy's students dressed in their formal school uniforms or formal suits and dresses, all gazing at them with looks of intrigue, skepticism and admiration. At first, the students simply continued to stare as the group made their way to the center of the hall, until Chazz, who couldn't stand all of the stares, decided to take the initiative by making a declaration.

"Hey everyone, it's me, pro duelist Chazz Princeton, and I'm ready for my fans to adore me. Don't worry, I'll be signing autographs all evening, so please don't rush; There's plenty of Chazz to go around," he said with a wink.

Everyone stood in silence for a moment, then as if waiting for the opportunity, all of the students ran over to them, and formed a large circle around them while squealing happily.

"Oh my god, it's the legendary Slifer himself, Jaden Yuki!"

"Oh wow, it's the Obelisk queen! God, she's really hot!"

"That's Syrus from the pro leagues! He's really cute!"

"I recognize those guys! The kings of the archelogy world right now, Jim and Hasselberry!"

Many comments, compliments, handshakes and autograph requests, among others, were requested by the hundreds of students in attendance. While they were glad to see their fellow juniors admiring them, the pressure was starting to get to them, as the adoring crowd got a little more demanding and physical, but before Jaden and the others could react, a loud booming voice was heard through the hall.

"ENOUGH!" came the order from the other side of the hall. The surrounding students suddenly grew quiet and began to disperse. Jaden and the others were stunned at how quickly the students dispersed, and wondering about the origins of the voice.

"It's rude to our guests to crowd them, no matter how famous they are or how much we've all wanted to meet them, so please show some restraint," came the same voice, closer and yet much calmer then before. The group turned to the source, to see the waves of students moving apart, and a man that looked to be in the prime of his life approaching them, with six students following behind him. Jaden identified the man immediately; He was the whole reason Jaden was here for the reunion after all, by sending Fira to 'test' him by sending the invitation to his house, by meeting him in that dark shroud and revelaing his plan to revive the supreme king, all of those events leading up to this moment. Yes, the man approaching was professor Crowley, the academy's current philosophy professor, and the man leading (or the 'caretaker' as he described himself) the elemental knights. Some of the gang like Chazz and Syrus showed confusion, not knowing his identity, while others like Jim and Mac, were weary of the professor for different reasons and were on their guard. Once he got within a few meters of them, he stopped and bowed.

"Welcome, our gracious alumni. Most of you have never met me before, but my name is Professor Alistair Crowley, philosopher and historian extraordinaire. I have only been teaching at this academy for a couple of years now, though I wish I had started sooner, seeing the wealth of talent your class had. In a sense, you could say that this reunion was one of my selfish desires to meet some of the academy's finest students, and have my own students learn from the knowledge you bring to them. I would love to talk about myself some more, but that can wait for another time, since the chancellor will be here to give his speech in a few minutes. In the meantime, let me apologize for the behavior of the students, particularly those of obelisk blue who are under my direct supervision," he explained himself, then bowed.

Jaden simply frowned, not knowing what the professor was planning, while Yubel looked on. "_That man sure does have a flare for the theatrical,_" she thought. "_Apologize, my foot. The students here are obviously being led by the nose, yet somehow, it doesn't feel like he's controlling them. I wonder..._"

"So, with that out of the way, let me introduce the next generation of talent, trained personally by me, and strong enough to take even the mightiest of duelists," announced Crowley with a confident smile, then he beckoned the six students behind him to step forward towards him.

Jaden, Mac, Alexis and Atticus recognized two of them instantly, as a girl with fiery red hair and a tall young man with blonde hair stood among the six. Fira and Ray stood next to each other in formation, as did the rest of the six. Axel and Jesse silently noticed a girl with dark hair in the group of six, the same girl who was their double-agent. Though they hadn't seen her face, Axel noticed that the girl had the same height, and her dark hair was visible from her hood when they first met. The girl had an androgynous look and a tomboyish feel to her, though one could also say that she was, simply put, beautiful.

Crowley then continued. "Now let me introduce them in order. First is my most trusted confidant from the esteemed Sherwood house, the knightly Edward Sherwood!" Ray bowed at his introduction with a calm, business smile.

"Secondly, with a delicate figure of a fairy, yet possessing the beauty and cunning of a courtesan, the illustrious and mesmerizing Wendy!" The young girl next to Ray bowed. As she was described, she had lovely flowing green hair and the delicate figure and build of a dancer, or as the professor had described her, a fairy, while her face seemed to be a perfect blend of purity and maturity. She gave a gentle smile to the group, a smile that made the students around her clutch their hands, smile and blush.

"Thirdly, a beauty and passion that ignites even the coldest of hearts, the black flame herself, Fira!" Upon being called, she bowed, then looked up towards Jaden and gave a small wink, before quickly doing the same as the other two.

"Fourth, a powerful and mighty, yet calm and tranquil warrior from the largest temple in China, a disciple like no other, the mighty Fang!" The young man bowed with his eyes closed, and though he was said to be raised in a temple, he had a flock of jet black hair on his head, yet his demeanor remained calm, even after he finished bowing, his expression unchanging.

"Fifth, a local born talent who despite a small build, held large ambitions that are blossoming here at the academy. Please welcome Mizuki!" The young person stood and bowed timidly, and when looking up with teary eyes, one could only tell the gender of this person, though from her clothing, the group assumed she was female.

"Finally, the silent and mysterious shadow of the night, with ferocity and strength that shames men, and a physique comparable to a model. The mighty and lovely Noir!" The young lady bowed as well, then with an unchanging expression, glanced at Axel for a split second, then returned next to the others.

"During your stay here, these young men and women will aid you with anything you need. Questions, duel practice, errands, you name it. Consider them as unpaid interns, and you are here to instruct them, giving them tasks and chores, and in return, these students will learn and grow from your influence. You see, what my students have in strength, they lack in experience, so I do hope you treat them well. Once again, my knights are at your disposal, so please use them and teach them as you see fit," said the professor with a final bow.

The knights followed cue, saying, "PLEASE TREAT US WELL, OUR SENIORS."

Jaden and the others looked flabbergasted, wanting an explanation for what happened. "_What's going on?_" thought Jaden.

"_I don't know Jaden, but I don't like it. Instead of hiding his secret weapons, he put his cards on the table just like that. He put his knights, his leverage against us, right within arms reach, as if provoking us, saying 'If you want to defeat us, go ahead and try. We don't need to hide anything from you, because we will win either way'. That crafty bastard, what is he planning?_" thought Yubel, linking her thoughts telepathically to him.

Before anyone could react however, everyone in the room heard a cough coming from the main stage. They all turned to see chancellor Sheppard standing on it, with the other professors in tow. "Are you done promoting your merchandise, Alistair?" he asked in a formal tone.

"Ouch, someone's hurtful, though your description is quite accurate," said Crowley with an unfazed smile. "Yes, I am done with introductions, and I thank you for waiting me to finish, but as you know, I just had to let our guests know of their helpers, so was I wrong?"

"No, it just wasn't the right time and place is all," replied Sheppard, then turned his attention to the rest of the student body. "In any case, my dear alumni, you heard from the professor. Those six are the best in the academy right now, and they will be guiding you from now and taking care of your every needs, and in exchange, please share with them the knowledge you possess. Now then, does anyone else want to make an announcement?"

After confirming the answer from the silence in the room, he continued. "Dear guests, professors and students, welcome all of you to the first ever alumni reunion week. We have brought together some of our finest alumni, who have gone through many hardships during their time here, to rise to the top. During their time here, I do hope that all students act in moderation, and I'm sure our alumni would love to listen to your kind words of praise and requests. As for our guests, please indulge yourselves during this week. Visit nostalgic locations, have mock duels with students or even just relax on the beach, please act at your own discretion, and consider this place your home away from home."

"Over the course of the next several days, we will host a variety of events for you, ranging from competitions to fan appreciation events and a lot more, all of which should have been covered in the schedule handed out to you yesterday. We have placed much care into these events, so I do hope you enjoy yourselves. Of course, they all pale in comparison to what I have planned for the final evening of the reunion. I know that a lot of students have been hearing rumors about a one-of-a-kind duel that will take place on the final day of the reunion. Well, I am here to say that those rumors are true; There is going to be a duel, one the likes of which you students have never seen before, between the last 2 duelists you could have ever thought would be facing each other."

The students began to murmur amongst themselves, as Sheppard paused purposefully to add an air of drama to his announcement. Unbeknownst to Jaden, Aster had suddenly slipped right next to him, but Jaden was too caught up in Sheppard's words to notice.

"A legendary duel? So the rumors were true?"

"I heard that they're going to bring in special duelists from overseas!"

"What about the alumni? Aren't they gonna be participating in that duel?"

"Now that ya mention it, that does make sense."

All sorts of crazy ideas and thoughts emerged from the students present in the hall. Jaden himself already knew the identity of one of the duelists, as the person in question, Zane, had already confessed to it this morning. In his thoughts, that also explained why Zane had gone ahead, as he would probably appear next to the chancellor at the announcement. The question was, who was the identity of the other duelist? Jaden could hardly wait for the answer.

Sheppard continued after the hype died down a little. "I can see that this duel has truly captivated your thoughts, so let's not keep you all in suspense any longer. Let me introduce the first member of our wonderful event. He is one of the finest duelists I have personally trained, and the top of his class as well. For a while, he was a member of the pro leagues, but fell out of favor after multiple defeats, only to rise back stronger then ever, though his new strength took a toll on his body, and his name disappeared from the dueling world. Now, he is back with a vengeance, and ready to make his debut again in the pro leagues, but first, he will have his first duel in what has seemed like an eternity, and I have asked him to have that duel right here at the academy. Master of the cyber style, Zane Truesdale!"

At Sheppard's introduction, Zane who was standing in a shadowy corner behind the stage, stepped onto the stage, and stood next to Sheppard. The students stood silent for a moment, before erupting into loud cheers at the revelation, with looks of admiration and pleasant surprise written on their faces. The excited chatter grew in the hall, while a large number of fans called on Zane to beat down his opponent. Jaden and his friends all smiled bitterly at the sight, with most of them thinking that the reaction to Zane's presence was pretty expected, yet exaggerated at the same time.

"_Well, good on you, Zane,_" thought Jaden happily. "_Though I really wanted to be his opponent. Guess I can ask him later._"

"Alright, all of you, settle down," ordered Sheppard gently, and after the chatter died down, he continued. "Now, I guess it's time to introduce Zane's opponent for this duel, and yes, he is here in this room with us."

Everyone froze at his words, and began looking around, some excitedly, some nervously. "_Wow, he's here already. Guess that means that it's one of the students, or maybe one of us! That'll be awesome. It'll probably be Chazz or Syrus though,_" thought Jaden.

"This opponent is also an alumni of this school, and a more recent graduate. He is a student who climbed up the ranks from the bottom, and against all of the odds, he climbed up to the top of this academy. Although he wasn't the best academic student our university ever produced, his dueling skills more then made up for the deficit, and he was loved and respected by a lot of the student body, unbeknownst to him. He is also a personal favorite of mine, and I am looking forward to seeing how far he has grown, as are you all, I'm sure."

"_Okay, that's sounding a lot like Chazz or Syrus, though it's probably Chazz. I doubt Zane wants to fight his little brother for his comeback duel. Still wish it was me though,_" he thought.

"As the opponent in the alumni reunion duel, or comeback duel if you wish to call it that, please welcome, the 'Eternal Slifer' as the student body describes him, Jaden Yuki!" announced Sheppard excitedly.

The entire room fell silent, as the spotlight fell on him. Jaden himself stared blankly for a bit, still trying to process what he had heard. "_Huh, did he just call my name? Nah, that's unlikely,_" he thought, shaking it off as a misunderstanding.

After a while, Sheppard called out to him. "Wow, was it really that shocking. Well Jaden, won't you join us on stage?" he asked.

It was then, that it finally dawned on him. The chancellor's indications, Zane's reactions to his questions, it all made sense. Right now, he was Zane's opponent in this duel, and for the first time since his first year, he would have his chance at a rematch with Zane Truesdale, one of the only duelists he had never beaten.

The problem was, that he couldn't believe it was him.

"Wait, you really mean me? That means... EHHHHH?!"

Jaden's scream echoed through the hall, as the mother of all rematches would soon begin.


End file.
